President Trump's proposal to take over Gaza is fraught with significant obstacles, both legal and logistical. International law would prohibit the forcible removal of Gaza's population, and the presence of unexploded munitions from recent Israeli bombardments poses a severe danger. Trump suggested a U.S. military presence for demining operations, yet federal law restricts military involvement in such tasks, redirecting responsibility to the State Department. Compounding the issue, a recent stop-work order on demining efforts for NGOs could delay essential cleanup in Gaza after the conflict ends.
In his remarks unveiling the idea last week, Mr. Trump suggested that he had thought about it. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, he said.
Instead, that work falls to the State Department, which provides funding to nongovernmental organizations to do the job. And that is where the White House has created an unforced problem for itself.
The number of weapons Israel has used in Gaza is not publicly known, but a New York Times investigation found that Israel had used nearly 30,000 munitions in the first seven weeks of the war.
On Jan. 25, the State Department issued a stop-work order to all of the nonprofit organizations it funds to find, remove and destroy unexploded munitions around the world.
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