The words of caution came after Netanyahu said Israel would need to oversee the security of the Gaza Strip once the fighting is over to prevent future attacks.

President Joe Biden does not support a “reoccupation” of Gaza by Israeli forces, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday. “The president still believes that a reoccupation of Gaza by Israeli forces is not good. It’s not good for Israel, it’s not good for the Israeli people,” Kirby said on CNN This Morning in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicting Israel will have “security responsibility” over Gaza for an “indefinite” amount of time.

Kirby said Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been discussing with Israel officials what Gaza looks like post-Israel-Hamas war. “I can tell you, though, that one of the conversations that Secretary Blinken has been having in the region is what does post-conflict Gaza look like, what does governance look like in Gaza,” Kirby said. “Because whatever it is, it can’t be what it was in October 6th, it can’t be Hamas.”

Kirby said the Biden administration continues to push for a “two state solution.” “We believe both sides can live in peace and security going forward. Even though we are in the middle of a conflict, the president hasn’t given up to that,” he said.

The words of caution came after Netanyahu said Israel would need to oversee the security of the Gaza Strip once the fighting is over to prevent future attacks.

Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday that Gaza should be governed by “those who don’t want to continue the way of Hamas” before adding, “I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, have the overall security responsibility because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it.”

As per CNN, it was one of the first hints Netanyahu has given about his vision for a post-war Gaza and suggests a divergent view from that of the US, including US President Joe Biden’s own statements about what the future of the strip would look like.

Biden in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” last month said it would be a “big mistake” for Israel to occupy Gaza. At the time, Michael Herzog, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Israel does not intend to occupy Gaza after the conflict ends.

Other sharp gaps have been emerging between the US and Israel as the war continues, as per CNN.