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Trump just flipped decades of U.S. foreign
policy on its head. At a heated press conference,
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he made an announcement that could
change the Middle East forever:
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“As far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is
necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that.”
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But what does that even mean?
Is Trump serious? And could
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U.S. troops really be deployed into Gaza?
The answers are even more shocking than you think.
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For decades, the U.S. has played mediator in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and on February 5,
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Trump took part in talks with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But Trump’s latest
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statement throws that entire approach out the
window. Though always entrenched in its strong
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support of Israel, the US has traditionally
“tried to advance a diplomatic solution that
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would reconcile the competing claims of the two
parties,” according to The Council on Foreign
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Relations. Many previous U.S. administrations have
proposed roadmaps that could lead to permanent
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peace between the two bitter rivals, suggesting
that the U.S. supported a two-state solution.
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But Donald Trump just blew this
decades-long approach out of the water.
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So, what exactly did he say?
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza
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Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own
it,” said Trump at the White House following his
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discussion with Netanyahu. The goal is to turn the
region into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” with
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Trump appearing to believe that he can transform
the Gaza Strip into a kind of holiday resort
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that would “supply unlimited numbers of jobs and
housing for the people of the area.” Of course,
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“taking over” would include sending U.S. personnel
in to clear destroyed buildings and dismantle
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“dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons.”
Trump claimed that the U.S. would take long-term
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ownership over the territory, with the idea being
to send the Palestinians currently living in the
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Gaza Strip to other countries while the U.S.
transforms the region. Once the transformation
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is complete, Trump envisions people from all
over the world living there. “The world’s
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people,” would become the strip’s residents
according to the U.S. President, including
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Palestinians if they still wanted to live in Gaza.
It's an extremely audacious plan to say the least.
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It’s also one that completely disregards the
decades of deep-rooted religious and territorial
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conflict that have defined Israel and Palestine.
And the backlash has been swift, making it clear
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that pulling this off won’t
be easy—despite Trump’s bold
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claim that “everybody loves the idea.”.
But at least Netanyahu hasn’t outright
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rejected it. When asked about Trump’s comments,
he carefully noted that the U.S. President “sees
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a different future for Gaza,” without clarifying
whether that vision aligns with his own. Still,
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he hinted at support, adding, “I think
it’s something that could change history.”
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But there’s another layer to this story—one
that’s deeply personal for Netanyahu. This isn’t
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just about Gaza. It’s about his own freedom. In
November 2024, The International Criminal Court,
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or ICC, issued an arrest warrant for Israel’s
Prime Minister. alleging "reasonable grounds"
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that Netanyahu, along with former Defense Minister
Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, bears
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criminal responsibility for war crimes during
the Israel-Hamas conflict. Netanyahu dismissed
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the charges, calling the ICC antisemitic, but
here’s the key factor: the U.S. doesn’t recognize
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the ICC, meaning it has no legal obligation to
arrest him. For Netanyahu, aligning with Trump
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may be less about supporting a U.S. controlled
Gaza and more about ensuring America remains his
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shield against international prosecution.
But other world leaders didn’t hold back.
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Saudi Arabia immediately condemned
Trump’s comments, reaffirming its
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“firm and unshakable” support for an independent
Palestinian state. The kingdom made it clear:
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Trump’s plan isn’t peace… it’s occupation.
Several of the countries Trump suggested as
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destinations for displaced Palestinians have
outright rejected his plan. He proposed that
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Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinians
while the U.S. "gets to work" in Gaza,
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but both nations swiftly refused, making
it clear they won’t be part of his vision.
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The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also slammed
Trump’s Gaza plan, warning it would “threaten
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the region’s stability, risk expanding
the conflict, and undermine prospects
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for peace and coexistence among its people.”
And of course, the US would still have to deal
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with Hamas, who lambasted the idea by claiming
that it was a “recipe for creating chaos and
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tension in the region.” In a statement published
in the wake of Trump’s comments, the terrorist
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group simply stated “Our people in the Gaza
Strip will not allow these plans to pass.”
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In other words, if Trump sends U.S. troops into
Gaza, they should be prepared to fight Hamas for
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every scrap of territory the U.S. tries to claim.
Trump is facing backlash at home too. Connecticut
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Senator Chris Murphy didn’t mince words, posting
on X that Trump has “totally lost it,” adding,
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“I have news for you – we aren’t taking
over Gaza.” Of course, Murphy is on the
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opposite side of the U.S. political fence to
the Republican Trump, making his opposition
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to most of Trump’s plans a given. However, his
comments may signal a broader bipartisan shock
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at the idea of the U.S. abandoning decades
of foreign policy to seize control of Gaza.
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Still, despite the overwhwelming opposition,
we really are faced with the reality of :
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What if Trump actually follows through
and sends U.S. troops into Gaza?
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It’s a real possibility. After all, Trump
has already taken steps that pave the way
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for military involvement. That includes a
February 4 executive order that withdraws U.S.
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support from UNRWA—the United Nations agency
responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees
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Israel had criticized the existence of UNRWA in
the past and outlawed it entirely on January 30.
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claiming it has ties to terrorist organizations
like Hamas. The U.S. withdrawal from UNRWA
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signals that Trump doesn’t believe in the agency’s
mission, which has provided relief to Palestinians
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since Israel’s founding in 1948. It also suggests
he shares Israel’s view that UNRWA has problematic
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connections and should be dismantled.
Trump’s claims and executive orders are
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already having real world effects too, and could
wreak havoc on the ceasefire that currently exists
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between Israel and Hamas. That temporary truce
was signed in mid-January and lasts until March
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1st. It’s already resulted in the release of
around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israel,
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with 33 Israeli captives going the other
way. Negotiations for a second phase of
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that ceasefire are already underway, according to
Hamas, with that phase potentially seeing the full
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withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza.
Trump comments might now blow up that entire
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second phase. After all, why would Israel
consider ending its war against Hamas if it
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knows there’s potential for one of its biggest
geopolitical allies to move into the Gaza Strip?
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So, you could argue that Trump is methodically
setting the stage for a U.S. invasion of Gaza.
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His executive orders have severed U.S. ties with
United Nations agencies that protect Palestinians,
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and because the U.S. doesn’t recognize
the ICC, Trump faces no legal barriers
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to working with Netanyahu on a Gaza takeover.
Everything appears to be falling into place for
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Trump to deploy U.S. troops into the region.
But if that happens,
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what would the battle look like?
First, let’s be clear: this wouldn’t
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even be a fight, it would be an annihilation.
The U.S. military is a global superpower,
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while Hamas is fighting with limited weapons
and guerrilla tactics. Global Firepower,
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which ranks the top 145 military nations
in the world based on over 60 metrics,
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puts the U.S. as the world’s most powerful
military, with 1.3 million active personnel
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and 800,000 in reserves. Its arsenal includes
over 13,000 aircraft, 4,640 tanks, nearly 400,000
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military vehicles, and a navy of 440 ships, all
backed by an $850 billion annual defense budget.
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Hamas is absolutely tiny in comparison. The U.S.
Director of National Intelligence estimated that
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before its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel,
Hamas had 20,000–25,000 fighters, a number that
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has since dwindled. Even at full strength, Hamas
had less than 2% of the U.S.’s active military.
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Weapons-wise, the gap is just as severe. Hamas
relies primarily on improvised rockets and
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mortars, with limited anti-tank and anti-air
capabilities. Small arms aren’t a problem for
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Hamas, as it has a surplus of RPG-7s and Norinco
Type 56-1 automatic rifles. But “surplus” is a
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relative term. In this case, it means more than
the 20,000 or so needed to arm everyone in Hamas,
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which is still practically nothing compared
to America’s equipment levels. Add the U.S.
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Navy into the mix, against which Hamas has no
defense, and a U.S. Air Force that features
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fighter jets that can easily avoid the
primitive MANPADS available to Hamas,
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and any war between the U.S. and Hamas should be
a curb stomping in favor of the American forces.
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That’s assuming a fight would even be necessary.
After all, over a year of fighting with Israel has
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already significantly weakened Hamas’s militarily.
Israel claims to have already killed 17,000 of
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Hamas' fighters, which would reduce the group to
between 3,000 and 8,000 if the DNI figures are
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accurate. Armed Conflict Location and Event Data,
or ACLED, disputes Israel’s numbers, stating that
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more detailed reports suggest there have been
8,500 militant fatalities. Either way, the U.S.
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troops entering the Gaza Strip would be dealing
with a very weakened Hamas, which means less
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chance of contact and fewer instances of Hamas’
guerilla tactics impacting America’s troops.
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That’s good news for Trump and his plan.
Israel also claims to have established control
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in four of the five governorates in the Gaza Strip
since October 2023. Again, ACLED questions that
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claim, saying that Hamas has shown an ability to
regroup and is still actively fighting in several
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of those locations. But that doesn’t change
the fact that Israel has established bases
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and command centers throughout the Gaza Strip, all
of which America’s troops could use to effectively
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conduct “clean-up” in the region. The U.S. is also
believed to maintain at least one base in Israel,
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meaning it already has troops in the country
that Trump could use to take over Gaza.
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Plus, Netanyahu’s comments about Trump’s idea
potentially being good for the region likely mean
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that he would cooperate with the U.S. and allow
it to use the bases he has in his own country.
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That offers plenty of staging areas for American
assaults. The U.S. could even consider sending
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its navy through the Mediterranean Sea
to essentially encircle the Gaza Strip,
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giving the Hamas militants in the area little
chance of escape. Add to all of this the 45,400
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American soldiers stationed in nearby countries,
including Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan,
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and the U.S. already has a force that’s
over twice as large as Hamas ready to go.
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Guerilla warfare tactics would still
be a problem for America’s troops.
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That’s been Hamas' dominant form of warfare
since May 2024 according to ACLED, likely as
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a response to Israel’s ground forces being too
powerful to fight directly. Hamas would try to
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use explosives and asymmetric attacks to whittle
away at America’s forces, but even that seems like
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a strategy that’s unlikely to succeed. Guerilla
warfare has worked against the U.S. in the past,
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most notably in Vietnam and Afghanistan. However,
the Gaza Strip is just 140 square miles. That’s
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tiny compared to the territories where the U.S.
has encountered guerilla warfare in the past,
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allowing it to more effectively
manage the threats it would face.
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If Trump is able to get other countries to
agree to take in Palestinian refugees who don’t
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want to be part of the fighting – which seems
unlikely given the responses of the countries
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he’s suggested so far – the U.S. might not even
have to put many boots on the ground in Gaza. It
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could work with Israel to carry out airstrikes
against an evacuated Gaza Strip, destroying what
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remains of the territory and forcing Hamas out in
the process. As devastating as that would be for
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the area, it’s an approach that seems to align
well with Trump’s claims that he wants to turn
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the strip into the “Riveria of the Middle East.”
He could use the U.S. military to essentially raze
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everything in Gaza to the ground, setting
the stage for America’s rebuilding efforts.
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And that brings us to the biggest question of all:
Why does Trump want Gaza? Is this about security?
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Or something much, much bigger
The surface-level answer is that
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Trump may almost see his plans for Gaza as being
somewhat similar to one of the real estate deals
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for which he first became famous. We get hints
of that from his “Riviera” comments, as well as
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his claims that the U.S. would “level” the
buildings in Gaza to create an economic
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development that provides the people living there
with new homes and jobs. Trump’s son-in-law Jared
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Kushner has also made reference to Gaza having
“very valuable waterfront property”. Kushner,
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who’s married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, made
those comments back in March 2024, almost a year
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before Trump claimed the U.S. should take over
Gaza. He suggested that Israel should remove
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civilians from the region by sending them to camps
in the Negev desert, allowing it to “clean up”
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the strip for property development. “I would
just bulldoze something in the Negev,” Kushner
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claimed when revealing his plan for resolving the
Israel and Palestine conflict. “I would try to
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move people in there. I think that’s a better
option, so you can go in and finish the job.”
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Israel didn’t do that.
The Negev desert is in
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Israel’s south, and it’s unlikely that Netanyahu
would approve any sort of development that could
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potentially enable Hamas to infiltrate into
his country. But perhaps Trump took Kushner’s
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comments to heart and simply tweaked the
plan into what he presented on February 5.
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However, America’s President likely doesn’t just
have real estate on his mind. There’s something
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else very valuable that a military takeover
of Gaza would provide to the United States:
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An even stronger foothold in the Middle East.
Think about Trump’s plan for a moment. It
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involves the displacement of around two million
people from Gaza – perhaps forcibly – to clear
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out the territory. American soldiers would fight,
and likely eliminate, the few Hamas fighters that
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remain. Once America took control, it would
be able to build military bases and perhaps
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even set up a naval base that would allow it to
control a portion of the Mediterranean Sea. That
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entry point into the Mediterranean would also
enable the U.S. to station ships and soldiers
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near Lebanon and Syria, with the former being home
to Hezbollah militants that the U.S. would like to
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reign in. A Gaza base would also supplement
the 45,400 troops stationed in countries
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surrounding Israel that we mentioned earlier.
The problem if this is part of Trump’s plan is
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the level of opposition he faces from the nations
he’s tried to bring on board with his idea. Saudi
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Arabia has already said it doesn’t support Trump’s
plan. Jordan and Egypt said “no” to taking in
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displaced Palestinians. You also have to believe
that Iran would have something to say about U.S.
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intervention in Gaza. After all, Hamas fighters
have received weapons and training from Iran, with
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some going so far as to claim Hamas is a proxy
for Iran so it has influence in a territory near
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Israel. The U.S. taking over Gaza would ruin that
influence, potentially sparking conflict with Iran
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that would throw the Middle East into turmoil.
So, Trump’s plan isn’t perfect.
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But perhaps it isn’t meant to be.
After all, there’s a chance that
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all of these comments could be yet
another bluff by America’s President.
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The Atlantic Council believes that might be a
possibility. Writing for the publication, Jonathan
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Lemire says, “Trump…has been known to first take
an outlandish position and then move to a more
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moderate stance. Sometimes there is a method to
his madness, and sometimes there is simple madness
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in his madness. World leaders, from Denmark to
Panama to the Middle East, have spent the past
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two weeks trying to discern the difference.”
Perhaps Lemire has a point. After all, Trump
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has typically taken an anti-U.S. intervention
approach in the past. Though that approach has
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always been tinged with Trump’s claims that the
U.S. is bankrolling other countries’ defense,
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as we see with the claims he makes about
NATO and, most recently, Canada. Taking
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over Gaza would be different as the U.S. would
be paying its own way and claiming territory.
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Still, there may be a “method to the madness”
as Lemire claims. That view was supported by
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Mark Dubowitz in a post on X. The CEO of the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies wrote,
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“It occurs to me that Trump may have floated this
idea to raise the stakes after Arab countries
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refused to take in Palestinians. Now, he’s
cranking up the pressure: If you won’t take them,
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we’ll remove them ourselves and take control
of Gaza. Classic Trump: Go to the extreme,
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making what once seemed outrageous suddenly
look like the reasonable middle ground.”
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Trump may have no intention to
send U.S. soldiers into Gaza.
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It might all be a ploy. A ruse. A trick he’s
using to get the countries that have balked at
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his idea of sending Palestinians to live in their
territories to capitulate to him because they fear
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the chaos the U.S. taking over Gaza could create
in the Middle East. And if the trick works,
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Trump would still get his way – Palestinians
move out of Gaza and the U.S. (likely working
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alongside Israel) would rebuild the territory.
Whatever the case may be, one thing is clear:
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Trump has shocked the world with his Gaza claims.
But has he shocked you? What do you think about
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the possibility of U.S. intervention in
Gaza that would lead to a takeover of the
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territory? Is Trump serious or is he trying
to bluff his way into getting what he and
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Israel want? Let us know in the comments
and thank you for watching this video.
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