“Islamic State knew that the [Americans] will takeover Gaza and displace the Palestinian [Muslims] to Sinai and other nearby countries and now we have Trump [infidel] who is talking about taking Gaza and displacing its population,” said one IS propagandist on an internal RocketChat, the group’s choice encrypted messaging service that it uses for recruitment.
As Donald Trump continues to threaten to take control over the Gaza Strip, an unlikely consensus has emerged across hardcore jihadist and far-right circles: both strongly oppose any new US military actions in the territory.
“It is a Jewish project under American sponsorship that aims to fire the last bullet of mercy on the so-called ‘issue’ of the Arab-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli conflict,” wrote another unknown IS operative about Trump’s plans, in one of its recent monthly magazines to followers.
But any hypothetical takeover of war-torn Gaza – still teaming with thousands of Hamas fighters – undoubtedly requires American troops to be deployed to the Middle East on a mission of occupation for the first time since the failed Iraq war.
What initially began as an impromptu proposal during a White House visit with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, now appears to be the makings of serious policy: the president wants to turn Gaza into a sort of American resort on the Mediterranean, despite widespread condemnation from the global community.
