The United States (U.S.) Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the Pentagon is ready to consider all options for Gaza.
Hegseth made this statement a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S. would “take over” the Palestinian enclave.
“Regarding Gaza, the definition of insanity is trying to do the same thing over and over again,” Hegseth said ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He recalled that Trump and Netanyahu had expressed their willingness to think outside the box and seek new and unique, dynamic ways to solve problems that seemed unsolvable.
“So we look forward to further discussions on this, creative solutions for it, and as the person tasked with leading the Department of Defense here, we are ready to consider all options, as we have said,” he added.
Asked whether Trump would deploy U.S. troops to Gaza, Hegseth said that Trump is engaged in very complex high-level negotiations with significant consequences for both the U.S. and the State of Israel.
“We look forward to working with our allies, our colleagues both diplomatically and militarily, to consider all options,” he stated.
Earlier, the White House announced that no decision had yet been made regarding the deployment of U.S. troops to Gaza.
Asked about Trump’s willingness to send U.S. troops, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that no decision had been made.
“The president has not committed to sending troops. He also said that the U.S. would not pay for Gaza’s reconstruction. His administration will work with our partners in the region on the rebuilding process,” said spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Leavitt said that Trump had been vocal in his expectation that regional partners, particularly Egypt and Jordan, would temporarily accept Palestinian refugees while the region is being rebuilt.
