Trump’s Gaza Gambit: Ethnic Cleansing Disguised as Humanitarianism
From Genocide Enabling to Ethnic Cleansing
Donald Trump’s February 4th statement that the United States will “take control” of Gaza and “own it” is an unambiguous declaration of neocolonialism and ethnic cleansing. It is a direct endorsement of the violent displacement of Palestinians and an unprecedented escalation in American complicity in Israel’s decades-long project to erase Palestinian sovereignty. This is no longer about supporting Israel’s war; it is about a full-fledged occupation. Trump’s words should set off alarm bells for anyone who believes in international law, human rights, and the fundamental principle of self-determination.
The fact that an American president is now openly discussing taking possession of Gaza, as if it were unclaimed land up for grabs, is both morally abhorrent and legally indefensible. Trump frames this occupation as a “humanitarian” mission, claiming the US would be responsible for disarming unexploded ordnance and securing the territory. But his offer of a “nice, fresh, beautiful piece of land” for Palestinians to relocate to elsewhere is nothing short of forced displacement—a sanitized way of saying ethnic cleansing. This is the Greater Israel project dressed up in the rhetoric of American interventionism.
There is a bitter irony in Trump’s shift from a president who once bragged about keeping America out of foreign wars to one now flirting with direct military occupation of Palestine. Until now, Trump’s foreign policy playbook largely relied on economic coercion, sanctions, tariffs, and threats rather than boots on the ground. But with this announcement, he has made it clear that his administration is not just supporting Israel’s war; it is preparing to take direct control of Palestinian land.
And let’s be clear: this isn’t just about Gaza. Trump’s rhetoric reveals a larger ambition to shift the entire Middle East balance in favor of Israel and its expansionist goals. By describing US involvement as “long-term ownership,” he is paving the way for what could be the permanent annexation of Gaza—either by Israel or, in an even more imperialist twist, by the United States itself. This isn’t a military partnership; it is colonial theft.
Netanyahu, of course, wasted no time endorsing Trump’s vision. He sees in Trump a golden opportunity to accelerate the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and permanently rid Israel of the Palestinian population that stands in the way of its territorial ambitions. The so-called “all goals” Netanyahu refers to—displacing Palestinians, securing total Israeli control over Gaza, and eventually moving toward full annexation of the West Bank—are goals Trump is now openly endorsing. This isn’t about security. It is about erasing Palestine.
But if history tells us anything, it’s that American intervention in the Middle East always ends in disaster. From Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq, the US has repeatedly overestimated its ability to reshape foreign nations through military force. Trump’s plan for Gaza is eerily reminiscent of past American misadventures, except this time, he is jumping into an even more volatile situation.
Take Afghanistan. After 20 years of occupation, thousands of American deaths, and trillions of dollars spent, the US left in humiliating defeat as the Taliban retook power in a matter of weeks. The same happened in Iraq, where American forces overthrew Saddam Hussein only to leave behind a fractured nation overrun by sectarian violence, Iranian influence, and ISIS. Even Libya, where the US and its allies intervened under the pretense of protecting civilians, was left in chaos, with open-air slave markets and rival militias fighting for control.
Trump now believes that the United States can somehow “own” Gaza, as if the catastrophic failures in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya never happened. The arrogance is astounding. Gaza is not an empty chessboard waiting for a new overlord—it is a land with millions of Palestinians who have already endured decades of occupation, blockade, and war. If Trump thinks he can march in, declare victory, and manage the territory without resistance, he is either delusional or completely indifferent to the consequences.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration is also ramping up pressure on Iran, issuing a new National Security Memorandum outlining a strategy of “maximum pressure” to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and countering its regional influence. This signals a dangerous escalation. Trump isn’t just talking about occupying Gaza, he is laying the groundwork for a broader war in the Middle East, one that could drag the United States into a prolonged and bloody conflict.
The global implications of this cannot be ignored. By proposing a direct American occupation of Gaza, Trump risks igniting a region-wide backlash that could unite the Arab world against the United States. Even Saudi Arabia, which has spent recent years cozying up to both Israel and Trump, immediately condemned any action that would displace the Palestinian people. Iran, already embattled by US sanctions and threats, will likely see this as an existential fight. And if a wider war erupts, it will be American troops and American taxpayers who bear the cost of Trump’s reckless adventurism.
For all his bluster about “America First,” Trump now risks repeating the mistakes of past imperial overreach. Nixon fell into this trap in Vietnam. George W. Bush fell into it in Iraq. Trump is now walking into his own Middle Eastern quagmire, one that will not only destabilize the region but could also prove politically disastrous for him at home.
Despite his confidence, Trump’s decision to openly discuss seizing Palestinian land could become a defining mistake of his presidency. He campaigned on ending America’s endless wars. He sold himself as the president who wouldn’t waste American lives on futile military adventures. Now, he is talking about an outright occupation of Palestinian land, one that will inevitably lead to armed resistance, American casualties, and a wave of international condemnation.
This could be the beginning of the end for Trump. His reckless embrace of ethnic cleansing and neocolonial occupation will not go unnoticed. If he follows through with his plan, he will find himself not as the great dealmaker he imagines, but as a warmonger presiding over yet another American military disaster. The world should not let this happen. The people of Gaza should not be sacrificed for Trump’s imperial fantasies. And history should remember him not as a president of peace, but as the butcher who tried to erase an entire people.