Trump Faces Pressure to Change Gaza Strategy After 6-Month Stalemate/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump’s Gaza policy is under scrutiny after six months of stalled ceasefire talks, rising Palestinian casualties, and global backlash. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at a possible strategic reset amid mounting frustration. Trump’s “finish the job” comments stand in contrast to growing international calls for de-escalation.
Trump’s Gaza Strategy Reset + Quick Looks
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio signals strategy rethink after Gaza talks fail
- Trump tells reporters Israel must “finish the job” against Hamas
- Six months into his term, no ceasefire or hostage deal has held
- Humanitarian crisis deepens with over 60,000 Palestinians dead and starvation surging
- Israel’s war tactics remain unchanged despite U.S. support and heavier weaponry
- Rubio questions incremental truce strategy and pushes for new options
- Trump faces cracks in MAGA base and rising global condemnation
- U.S. and Israel now diplomatically isolated amid worsening Gaza conditions
Deep Look
Trump Administration Struggles to Reset Gaza Policy Amid Ceasefire Collapse and Humanitarian Catastrophe
WASHINGTON — Six months into President Donald Trump’s second term, the war in Gaza rages on with no end in sight. The breakdown of the most recent ceasefire talks has prompted deep frustration inside the administration and forced top officials to reconsider their entire approach.
In a closed-door meeting Friday with families of Israeli hostages, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed candid dissatisfaction.
“We need to do some serious rethinking,” Rubio reportedly said, according to two attendees, suggesting that new policy options may soon be presented to the president.
Trump’s “Finish the Job” Stance Raises Alarm
While frustration grows behind the scenes, Trump doubled down publicly. Speaking from Scotland after landing for a separate trip, he implied Israel should escalate its offensive against Hamas.
“It’s getting to be that time,” Trump told reporters. “Get rid of Hamas. Finish the job.”
Israeli officials weren’t sure whether Trump’s comments signaled a strategic shift or a negotiating bluff, but they took notice. Some interpreted it as a “green light” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intensify military operations.
The Cost of Free Rein
For much of the past six months, Trump has allowed Netanyahu to act with minimal U.S. oversight — on everything from military strikes to humanitarian aid routes. Despite claiming to be disturbed by the mounting Palestinian death toll, Trump has applied little pressure on Israel to scale back the war, according to Israeli officials.
“In most calls and meetings, Trump told Bibi, ‘Do what you have to do,’” one official said. “In some cases, he even encouraged Netanyahu to go harder.”
A Fracturing MAGA Base and Global Backlash
Trump campaigned on ending the Gaza war and freeing hostages, but with violence and suffering escalating, parts of his own political base have grown uneasy with his support for Israel’s hardline war strategy.
Images of starving Palestinian children and widespread civilian deaths are fueling domestic and international outrage. Western allies are increasingly alarmed, with France, Germany, and the U.K. issuing a joint rebuke on Friday:
“Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. The catastrophe in Gaza must end now.”
Ceasefire Collapse: A Turning Point
The latest ceasefire attempt fell apart after Hamas rejected the deal and Israel abruptly withdrew its negotiators. Rubio, speaking with hostage families, emphasized that both he and Trump had never supported the incremental “truce-for-hostages” model used during the Biden administration.
Although Trump reluctantly endorsed that approach in January to facilitate a limited hostage release, Rubio indicated the administration might now pivot toward a broader, more permanent strategy — possibly a comprehensive ceasefire or a one-time grand exchange.
Past Promises and Present Failures
Back in January, Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff helped broker a short-lived ceasefire just before the inauguration. But they allowed Netanyahu to break the agreement’s next phase by refusing to negotiate further, leading to the war’s full-scale resumption in March.
In return for lifting arms restrictions, Trump sent Israel 2,000-pound bombs previously withheld by Biden, along with additional munitions. Still, Hamas has not been defeated, and Gaza remains devastated with little military progress to show.
Humanitarian Conditions: Worst Yet
The Gaza Health Ministry now reports over 60,000 Palestinian deaths since the war began. In the past few weeks alone, 122 people have died of starvation, as aid access remains limited.
While Trump was among the first global leaders to warn publicly about starvation in Gaza, his support for the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — which bypasses UN agencies — has done little to prevent civilian deaths. Aid centers have become targets, with hundreds killed en route to receive food.
Netanyahu’s Calculations and Trump’s Dilemma
Netanyahu initially embraced the truce-for-hostage model to avoid committing to ending the war — a move driven more by domestic political considerations than peace strategy. Despite their misgivings, Trump and Rubio went along with it.
But Friday’s remarks suggest a pivot is in motion. Rubio hinted at the need for a more comprehensive, bolder solution, one that might move beyond half-measures and force Netanyahu into tougher decisions.
Still, a full strategy shift hasn’t been finalized. Sources inside the administration admit privately that the current approach isn’t working, but no alternative path has been agreed upon.
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