US thinks Hamas will never be able to rule Gaza: White House

The White House said on Wednesday that it does not think Hamas, a militant Palestinian organization that supports Israel, should have any role in governing the Gaza Strip when the conflict with Israel is over.

Speaking to reporters as President Joe Biden was traveling to Minnesota, White House national security secretary John Kirby said that the US opposes the permanent settlement of Gaza inhabitants outside of the Hamas-run region.

Kirby said that while the number of civilian deaths in the Israel-Hamas conflict is increasing, Washington does not think a general ceasefire is appropriate at this time and that humanitarian breaks in hostilities are essential.

After Hamas massacred 1,400 people in southern Israel on October 7, Kirby noted that keeping Hamas in control would be troublesome while the US, its friends, and partners discussed alternatives for Gaza after the conflict.

“We firmly think that Hamas cannot lead Gaza’s government in the future. They cannot,” Kirby said. “What comes after the conflict, we don’t have all the answers yet but we are working with our partners in the region to explore what governance in Gaza can and should look like.”