US military prepared to look at all options for Gaza: US Defence Secretary

WASHINGTON - US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Feb 5 that the Pentagon was prepared to look at all options for Gaza, a day after President Donald Trump said he would like the US to take control of and redevelop the Gaza Strip.

“On the question of Gaza, the definition of insanity is attempting to do the same thing over and over and over again,” Mr Hegseth said before the start of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Pentagon.

“The president is willing to think outside the box, look for new and unique, dynamic ways to solve problems that have felt like they were intractable ... We’re prepared to look at all options.”

The White House said earlier on Feb 5 that Mr Trump has not

committed to putting US troops in the Gaza Strip

as part of his proposal for a US takeover of the Palestinian enclave.

His idea prompted international condemnation

and some dissent from Republicans in Congress, who have largely fallen in line behind his initiatives such as pausing foreign aid and eliminating thousands of federal workers.

It was unclear whether Mr Trump would proceed with his proposal or was taking an extreme position as a bargaining strategy, as he has done on other issues.

Mr Hegseth said the Pentagon would strive to supply weapons to Israel that “were previously not supplied, that are useful in eradicating radical enemies”.

Mr Trump has instructed the US military to release a hold imposed by Democratic former President Joe Biden on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel.

One 2,000-pound bomb can rip through thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius.

Reuters reported in 2024 that the Biden administration had sent thousands of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel after the Oct 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian Hamas militants from Gaza but had put a hold on one shipment. REUTERS