During his meeting with US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, on Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas linked the return of the Palestinian Authority to administering the Gaza Strip to a “comprehensive political solution” to the conflict.

Abbas, who met with Blinken for the second time since October 7, said: “The Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and we will bear our full responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution on both the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.”

As Israeli forces intensify their attack on the Gaza Strip, diplomats in the United States and the United Nations are beginning to evaluate options, “What next?” If Israel manages to overthrow the movement that runs the Strip, the challenges they face in this regard are huge.

Reuters quoted an informed source as saying that these discussions include options such as deploying multinational forces after the end of the latest escalation in the conflict in Gaza and forming a temporary administration led by Palestinians, but they exclude politicians affiliated with Hamas, granting a temporary role to fill the vacuum in security and administration to neighboring Arab countries, and temporary supervision from United Nations on the sector.

Another American source described the process as still being informally “in the process of brainstorming ideas.”