By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday the Pentagon was prepared to look at all options for Gaza, a day after President Donald Trump said he would like the U.S. 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,” 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,” Hegseth added.
The White House said earlier on Wednesday that Trump has not committed to putting U.S. troops in the Gaza Strip as part of his proposal for a U.S. takeover of the Palestinian enclave.
Trump’s idea prompted international condemnation and some dissent from Republicans in Congress, who have largely fallen in line behind Trump’s initiatives such as pausing foreign aid and eliminating thousands of federal workers.
It was unclear whether Trump would proceed with his proposal or was taking an extreme position as a bargaining strategy, as he has done on other issues.
Hegseth said the Pentagon would strive to supply weapons to Israel that “were previously not supplied, that are useful in eradicating radical enemies.”
Trump has instructed the U.S. 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 last year 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.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Rod Nickel)
