Israel-Palestine Escalation
Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas movement's troops infiltrating border areas. On October 8, the Israeli government announced that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.

US Involvement in Gaza Will Lead to Troops on Ground, Subsequent US Casualties, Expert Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump stated earlier Thursday that after the fighting stops, Israel will "turn over" Gaza to the US and relocate Palestinians to "far safer and more beautiful" cities. The president also declared that regional stability would be attained without the need for US troops.
Sputnik
The direct involvement of the United States in the Gaza Strip will lead to the deployment of US Armed Forces, which will result in inevitable military casualties, political analyst Keith Preston told Sputnik.

"It's quite likely that efforts by the United States to assume control of Gaza will require the presence of US forces, which would indeed be another involvement in a Middle Eastern conflict, with US troop casualties being a certainty. The Palestinian resistance forces will no more accept an American occupation than an Israeli occupation. Direct American involvement in Gaza is tantamount to a declaration of war on Palestine by the United States," Preston said.

The expert observed that the Trump administration is a committed supporter of Israel, noting pro-Israel ties of some key figures among Trump's allies.

"[Trump's pick for the director of national intelligence] Tulsi Gabbard is aligned with Miriam Adelson, an Israeli-American who is one of Trump's biggest donors. [Vice President] JD Vance is aligned with the 'national-conservatism' tendency, which is led by the Israeli-American Yoram Hazony," Preston explained.

Preston suggested that Trump's plans for Gaza will split his supporters, which consist of ardent supporters of Israel, particularly the so-called "Christian Zionists," as well as those who are apprehensive toward the US involvement in foreign conflicts. The expert also does not expect the Democrats to push back against Trump's initiative.

"There might be a slight protest on the margins of the party. For example, the most left-leaning members of Congress might raise at least some objections, such as [Congresswoman] Rashida Tlaib, who is a Palestinian-American. But for the most part, the Democratic Party is just as much under the control of the Israel Lobby as the Republican Party," Preston concluded.

A ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since January 19, following an agreement between Israel and the Hamas movement to release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The agreement was backed by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, which have set up a coordination center in Cairo. On Tuesday, Hamas announced the start of negotiations regarding the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
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