Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Any attempt by the US to seize and rebuild Gaza with the help of American forces would face massive operational challenges, military experts say. It would raise the risk of an insurgency and the need for a sustained military presence that contradicts President Donald Trump's stated desire to avoid foreign conflicts.
The situation in Gaza makes it fertile ground to grow the sort of open-ended and costly conflict the US waded into in its invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, which cost US taxpayers trillions of dollars and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers.
Mr Trump has not committed to sending US forces into Gaza as part of his vision to clear the Palestinian enclave of all its residents and then embark on a major reconstruction project to turn it into what he envisions as the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
Yet on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he would send troops into Gaza “if it's necessary”. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Wednesday, emphasised the possibility.
“To the question of Gaza: the definition of insanity is attempting to do the same thing over and over and over again,” Mr Hegseth said in brief remarks to reporters. “We look forward to working with our allies, our counterparts, both diplomatically and militarily, to look at all options.”
As with many things Mr Trump says, his words can be viewed as a maximalist bargaining ploy to try to extract concessions in a negotiation. But, taken at face value, his remarks have unnerved allies and observers. Experts told The National that a hypothetical military presence in Gaza would be complex even in a best-case scenario for planners: the surrender of Hamas, an unlikely prospect.
Alex Plitsas, head of the Atlantic Council think tank's Counterterrorism Projectand a former chief of sensitive activities for special operations and combatting terrorism in the Office of the Secretary of Defence, said Mr Trump's suggestion that the US can somehow clear and rebuild Gaza assumes a massive level of military and economic involvement. But the President has not outlined who would pay for the endeavour, he added.
And any US troop presence would quickly incur American casualties, something Mr Trump's isolationist supporters are unlikely to tolerate for long, as any Palestinians remaining Gaza after a forced displacement would almost certainly take up arms against an occupying power.
“We learnt from Iraq, very clearly, that a counterinsurgency operation is extremely costly in terms of blood and treasure, and we saw the significant loss of life of the civilian population that was caught in the middle,” Mr Plitsas said. “And you would need to make a long-term strategic commitment to a country to see that through, and there would be a lot of suffering that takes place in the process.”
Even some members of Mr Trump's largely compliant Republican Party have voiced concern over the Gaza proposal.
“I thought we voted for America First,” Republican senator Rand Paul said on X. “We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers' blood.”
Mr Plitsas said several military divisions, up to about 100,000 troops, would be needed to take, hold and clear Gaza. “And that's just the security piece. You have the reconstruction piece of it as well, and the governance and nation building, which would also entail other elements of the [US] government,” he noted.
John Spencer, chairman of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, at the US Military Academy, also said it would require a commitment of tens of thousands of soldiers arriving by land and sea for a mission that would take a long time, depending on the extent to which Hamas had been eradicated or laid down their arms.
“The enemy gets a vote,” said Mr Spencer, who has toured Gaza four times with the Israeli military since October 7, 2023. “If it's active combat, it takes a long time. That has to be acknowledged.”
He said Israeli troops had predominantly cleared urban areas, then left them again. The US military mission would be to clear such places, hold them and then defuse any unexploded Israeli bombs or booby traps left by Hamas.
Mr Spencer said making any area safe for reconstruction would be a hugely intricate undertaking, as buildings and rubble would need to be cleared, along with any Hamas tunnels underneath.
In the case of Mosul in Iraq following the battle to rid it of ISIS fighters, it took an estimated five years to clear explosives – and that was just one city.
“People aren't acknowledging the very unique features of this war, like the rubble and the destruction,” Mr Spencer said. "I think people are discounting the actual amount of work that would have to be done."
But even contemplating the logistics of a US military operation presupposes that Arab countries would be on board with the plan, and there is zero indication to suggest they are.
Jordan and Egypt have made it clear that the displacement of Palestinians, either in the short term or long term, from either Gaza or the occupied West Bank, is a non-starter policy position.
“Because it would mean the potential non right of return on the end of Palestinian statehood, which is something that they neither will and would support,” Mr Plitsas said.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The years Ramadan fell in May
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
