Will Donald Trump send American troops to Gaza? The President says “the US will take over”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a head of state to the White House since Donald Trump’s inauguration. The Israeli leader’s ability to travel freely has been constrained by an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, since neither Israel nor the United States are signatories to the ICC’s founding treaty, Netanyahu was warmly welcomed by his American counterpart.

Trump’s claims the U.S. will take control of the Gaza Strip

Netanyahu will remain in Washington until Saturday, during which he plans to meet with leaders and organizations sympathetic to Israel’s cause. His visit comes as the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas enters its final weeks. President Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza—which scholars and international human rights organizations have described as a genocide—recently stunned allies in the region and around the world by announcing that the United States would take control of Gaza. “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” said Trump during a joint press conference with Netanyahu.

The president also reiterated his controversial stance that Palestinians living in Gaza, whose population stood at approximately 1.8 million before the war, should be displaced from their ancestral homeland and relocated to countries like Egypt and Jordan. He claimed that the population should be forced to move “to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts.” Palestinian political groups have rejected any such claim and accused the president, once again, of calling for the forced displacement of the ethnic group.

Meanwhile, US allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, have warned that they would halt efforts to normalize relations with Israel if such actions were pursued. Saudi Arabia also reaffirmed their support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and Egypt and Jordan have rejected calls to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza. Iran, too, has voiced strong opposition, and following its reestablished diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia in 2024, Trump’s proposal could bring these regional rivals closer together based on their shared interests that run counter to the US and Israel.

Trump’s comments elate the Israeli far-right

Given the fierce opposition from regional leaders, it remains unclear how the US would assume control of Gaza. While Trump did not explicitly state plans to deploy US troops to the region, he did not rule out the possibility. His comments suggest he views the war-torn territory, devastated by Israeli airstrikes, as valuable real estate. “Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent,” said Trump on Tuesday, providing no clarity as to what parties he had received such magnanimous support from.

Nevertheless, based on the reaction of far-right leaders in Israel, including former Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who thanked and commended the president for his words, it is clear who Trump’s audience is.

Before any development could occur, the estimated 30,000 unexploded munitions littering the area would need to be cleared—a task Trump indicated the US might assist with if it were to take control of the strip.

However, public support for such a move appears limited. During the height of Israel’s military campaign, polling on sending US troops to Gaza was scarce. An October survey by The Associated Press and NORC found that only two in ten Americans supported the idea. Earlier in the year, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs asked Americans how they would feel about sending troops to the region if Israel were attacked by Iran, and only 41 percent responded that they would support the measure. The researchers noted that support was higher among Republicans (55 percent) compared to Democrats and independents (35 percent). It is far from certain that controlling Gaza is a priority compelling enough for the American public to justify risking the lives of US troops.

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