As President Donald Trump's second administration continued its swift recasting of the federal government and American foreign policy, the president and his top diplomat issued a stunning proposal, saying the U.S. would "take over" the Gaza Strip, "level the site" and rebuild it.

The White House expects the number of federal employees who accept the buyout offer to grow rapidly in the leadup to Thursday's deadline.

Employees have until Thursday to decide whether to accept the offer, which the White House hopes will reduce the federal payroll by between 5% and 10%.