Trump Proposes U.S. Control Of Gaza, Plans to Transform Region Into ‘Riviera of the Middle East’

President Donald Trump unveiled a plan on Tuesday for the United States to assume control over the Gaza Strip, proposing the resettlement of Palestinians to other countries—seemingly without their consent—and transforming the region into what he referred to as “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Trump’s proposal came during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he was hosting at the White House.

The plan, which lacked specific details about how to relocate over two million Palestinians or manage Gaza, suggested that the U.S. would step in to develop the area by clearing unexploded bombs and debris, eventually rebuilding the war-torn region.

“We will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a great job with it. We’ll own it,” Trump declared, claiming support from key Middle Eastern leaders while pressuring Egypt and Jordan to accept displaced Gazans, despite both countries and the Palestinian leadership rejecting the idea outright.

Trump envisioned long-term U.S. ownership of Gaza, promising to turn it into an attractive, economically revived destination. “This could be something magnificent, making Gaza the Riviera of the Middle East,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, praising Trump’s proposal, stated that it could “change history” and deserved careful consideration.

Netanyahu’s visit marked the first foreign leader’s trip to the White House since Trump’s return to power, originally intended for talks on a potential second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

Trump’s remarks on Gaza quickly overshadowed the primary agenda of the meeting, as he suggested that Palestinians would not be the ones to rebuild the territory. “It should not be rebuilt and occupied by those who have suffered there,” he noted.

The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, strongly rejected the notion of resettlement, stating, “Our homeland is our homeland,” and urged leaders to respect Palestinian wishes.

Gazans themselves also voiced strong opposition, with one resident saying, “Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage — absolutely not.”

While Trump was vague on the specifics of how such a plan would be executed, he hinted that U.S. military intervention might be necessary.

It was not the first time the former real estate mogul has commented on Gaza’s potential, previously suggesting it could become “better than Monaco.”

Netanyahu, standing alongside Trump, praised the U.S. leader’s willingness to think outside the box, though relations between the two leaders have been tense at times.

Netanyahu seized on Trump’s return to power, with his own relationships with President Joe Biden deteriorating over the Gaza conflict.

The proposed plan, however, faces fierce opposition from both Palestinians and several Middle Eastern nations, including Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, which have all firmly rejected Trump’s resettlement suggestion.