In a shocking announcement, United States President, Donald Trump has proposed a US takeover of Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan.
Announcing his audacious plan to take over the Gaza Strip and transform it into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” Trump noted that his administration would spearhead development in the enclave to “supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
Trump said at the White House after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will “take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it.”
He added that his administration would take responsibility for clearing destroyed buildings and dismantling “dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons.”
In his remarks, Trump suggested the US would take a “long-term ownership position” over the enclave.
“This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent.”
Donald Trump
Offering few specifics about how his plan would be implemented, Trump expressed hope that displaced Palestinians in Gaza would “go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts”, though he suggested Palestinians would also continue living there.
He said that Gaza could become home to the “world’s people.”
“I think you will make that into an international, unbelievable place. I think the potential in the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I think the entire world – representatives from all over the world will be there and they’ll live there. Palestinians also, Palestinians will live there. Many people will live there.”
Donald Trump
He also repeated his plans to forcibly displace Palestinians to neighbouring countries.
“I have a feeling that, despite them saying no, I have a feeling that the king in Jordan and [the Egyptian President] will open their hearts and will give us the kind of land that we need to get this done.”
Donald Trump
Asked if US soldiers could be sent to Gaza to maintain security, Trump said it was a possibility. “As far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that,” he said.
Netanyahu, who praised Trump as the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had, said the US President’s plan was worth “paying attention to” and could “change history.”
“He sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism, so many attacks against us, so many trials and so many tribulations.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
The proposal paints a grand picture: transforming a war-torn and politically volatile region into a luxurious, thriving paradise.
Trump described the Gaza Strip as a blank canvas, ripe for redevelopment, where U.S. expertise could clear rubble, remove unexploded ordinance, and create infrastructure from scratch.
However, the promise of turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” is far more complex than simply providing a facelift.
The notion that such a drastic transformation could be achieved by simply relocating Palestinians and bringing in American-led redevelopment may be overly simplistic.
The situation in Gaza is not just about infrastructure; it is deeply tied to politics, national identity, and decades of entrenched grievances.
The proposed resettlement of Palestinians is also a point of contention.
A large part of the population would likely resist the idea of being uprooted from their homes and displaced again.
Proposed US Takeover Of Gaza Slammed
Hamas swiftly condemned the proposal as a “recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region.” “Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass,” the group said in a statement.
“What is required is an end to the occupation and aggression against our people, not their expulsion from their land. Our people in Gaza have thwarted displacement and deportation plans under bombardment for more than 15 months.”
Hamas
Also, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian-American who is a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said on X that Gaza was not a “real estate development project for the United States government to own or take over.”
“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people. Distracting from the need to initiate political transformation to ensure that Hamas doesn’t remain in control is unnecessary and harmful.”
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Rashida Tlaib, the sole Palestinian member of the US Congress, accused Trump of “openly calling for ethnic cleansing while sitting next to a genocidal war criminal.” Tlaib said on X, “He’s perfectly fine cutting off working Americans from federal funds while the funding to the Israeli government continues flowing.”
In the end, Trump’s vision for Gaza may be a dream too far removed from the harsh realities on the ground.
While the promise of a flourishing economic zone with jobs, homes, and stability sounds appealing, the complexities of the region’s politics and history cannot be ignored.
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