Trump’s Gaza plan: Evictions, US control, and new "Riviera"

The United States will assume control of Gaza, relocate its residents to other countries, and then embark on a reconstruction plan for the territory, US President Donald Trump announced during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“All 1.8 million residents of the Gaza Strip should be relocated to countries like Egypt and Jordan,” Trump declared, Caliber.Az reports referring to Israeli media.

He stressed that “Hamas must be destroyed” and that the people currently in Gaza “should not be in the business of rebuilding that place and should not stay there.”

Calling the Gaza Strip “a symbol of misery and destruction,” Trump asserted that its residents would be better off elsewhere. “You have to reach out to countries with a good heart that will provide new places for the people of Gaza to live,” he said. He suggested that the costs of this relocation effort could be covered by “the rich countries in the region.”

Trump insisted that Gaza, in its current state, “is just a destroyed place,” and that displaced residents would have an opportunity to “live in beautiful, safe homes, in harmony and peace” in their new locations.

“The US will take control of the Gaza Strip and we will work with it,” he declared. “We’ll take responsibility for demining and more. We’ll level everything—all the destroyed homes. Let’s create an economy that can provide endless jobs and homes for people, only if they don’t go back. You can’t go back there. Otherwise, it will happen again.”

Expressing optimism about future peace efforts, Trump said, “I hope the ceasefire [in Gaza] will be the beginning of a final peace that will stop the war once and for all.”

When asked by reporters whether his plan signaled the end of the “two states for two peoples” concept, Trump avoided a direct answer. Instead, he reiterated his goal: “to build a beautiful society in Gaza” and “bring stability to the region.”

He painted a vision for Gaza’s future under US control, saying, “Gaza can become the ‘Riviera of the Middle East.’” He went on to promise, “People living in hell will live in world-class housing.”

“The king of Jordan and the president of Egypt will open their hearts and help us with that,” he added.

Trump did not specify what legal authority would allow the US to seize control of Gaza. Nor did he address concerns about the forced eviction of Gazans, which is a violation of international law.

His remarks came as a surprise to many and could have significant implications for ongoing indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

By Tamilla Hasanova