U.S. Warns Israel That It Faces ‘Disaster’ In Gaza

Secretary of State Blinken warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet in a meeting on Friday that Israel's security and its place in the world are in peril, and "you might not realize it until it's too late," a source familiar with the meeting told Axios.Why it matters: Blinken's stark warning reflects the growing anxiety inside the Biden administration that Israel's strategy in Gaza, or lack thereof, could lead to a perpetual occupation and insurgency in the enclave.

Behind the scenes: Blinken told Netanyahu and the war cabinet that he came to Israel as a friend who spent the past five months defending Israel around the world.

But he warned that on the current trajectory, without a clear plan for the day after the war, Israel will be left with a major insurgency it can't handle."You need a coherent plan, or either you're going to be stuck in Gaza," Blinken said, according to the source. The Secretary of State said that on the current path, Hamas will stay in control in Gaza or there will be anarchy, which will just create the conditions for more terrorism. According to the source, Netanyahu said after Blinken's remarks: "We will have our hands full for decades."