Palestinians are in favor of President Donald Trump‘s plan to turn Gaza into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East,’ even after his proposal received much pushback from foreign policy experts who feared it could lead to a bloody occupation.
During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month, Trump laid out the extraordinary plan, stating: ‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too.’
‘We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site … level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings,’ the president added.
While the proposal has sparked concern, Palestinians living in war-ravaged Gaza said they are ready to leave.
‘I won’t stay in Gaza because there will be disease and our situation will be miserable,’ a man standing near Gaza’s coastline told The Center of Peace Communications in an interview that aired Tuesday.
‘Very bad. Anyone who says otherwise is just fooling themselves.’
Another man who stood before the endless rubble, said: ‘If I leave this country today, I’ll be better off.
‘You want to put me in this rubble and tell me to live here? How can I live here?
‘I’m for resettlement. It’s not forced migration where they’d kick us out of our country. We’re the ones who want to leave,’ he added.
Palestinians said they are in support of President Donald Trump’s plan to turn Gaza into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East.’ This man said: ‘Anyone who says otherwise is just fooling themselves’
While the proposal has sparked concern, Palestinians living in war-ravaged Gaza said they are ready to leave. (Pictured: Palestinians return to their homes on January 27, 2025)
Trump (pictured on Saturday) clarified that Palestinians ‘would already have been resettled in a far safer and more beautiful communities.’ He also confirmed that ‘No soldiers by the US would be needed’
Another Palestinian said that with the state of the land right now, ‘even dogs can’t live in the north.’
‘There’s no water, no electricity, no infrastructure at all,’ he added.
Another man, with his face blurred, also stood in front of piles of rubble as he pointed to a camp for displaced people.
‘People may be fine with staying in a tent for a couple of days, or even months, but when this becomes permanent instead of temporary, the situation grows unbearable,’ he explained.
A woman, who also had her face blurred, said that people in Gaza ‘feel like prisoners’ who are stuck in a ‘state of frustration and despair.’
‘We’re just civilians. We’re not part of Hamas, and we don’t want to die,’ she continued.
Although Trump said Middle East leaders ‘love’ the idea, and that the 1.8 million Gazans he estimated would be relocated to other countries would embrace it, there was evidence that the proposal was not fully cooked when Trump floated it at the press conference alongside Netanyahu.
Aaron David Miller, a Middle East expert who advised secretaries of state across multiple administrations of both parties, said the immediate reaction among Palestinians and leaders across the region was one of ‘revulsion.’
Another Palestinian said that with the state of the land right now, ‘even dogs can’t live in the north’
A woman, who also had her face blurred, said that people in Gaza ‘feel like prisoners’ who are stuck in a ‘state of frustration and despair’
Miller told DailyMail.com: ‘The question is whether or not this is Trump disrupting, or is this tethered to an actual strategy. And I would argue this is the reflection of a very unserious man. He’s thinking with the opportunistic sensibility of a real estate developer.’
Even political allies of Trump like South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham were offering faint praise for an ‘interesting proposal’ – after backing his most controversial cabinet nominees.
‘I think most South Carolinians would probably not be excited about sending Americans to take over Gaza. It might be problematic,’ Graham said, Jewish Insider reported.
Democrats and Republicans alike were startled by the idea, as Republican Senator Rand Paul took to X to share his thoughts.
‘I thought we voted for America first. We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers’ blood,’ Paul wrote.
After receiving backlash for his plan, the 47th president clarified his proposal on his social media platform Truth Social.
During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month (pictured), Trump laid out the extraordinary plan
In his post, Trump clarified that Palestinians ‘would already have been resettled in a far safer and more beautiful communities.’
He also confirmed that ‘No soldiers by the US would be needed.’
Trump said that the US would take over the Gaza strip while its Palestinian population would be moved to neighboring countries, such as Jordan and Egypt.
The president also threatened to cut off aid to Jordan and Egypt if the countries refuse to accept Palestinians from Gaza.
Initially, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he rejected any moves to annex land and displace Palestinians, but after meeting with Trump at the White House he committed to accepting 2,000 sick Palestinian children into Jordan.
Egypt said it would back Gaza recovery plans, following a ceasefire that took effect on January 19, without Palestinians leaving the territory.
Trump, a property developer who sees the world in terms of deals, has long talked up Gaza’s coastal location and pleasant climate as a perfect holiday vacation.
In his vision, US reconstruction would create thousands of jobs and spare Palestinians the pain and expense of rebuilding once again.
Initially, Jordan’s King Abdullah II (pictured with Trump on February 11) said he rejected any moves to annex land and displace Palestinians, but after meeting with Trump at the White House he committed to accepting 2,000 sick Palestinian children into Jordan
When a reporter asked if that might involve military force, Trump answered: ‘If it’s necessary.’
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ruled out the use of US troops in the region and walked back his claim that Palestinians needed to be permanently resettled in neighboring countries, saying instead that they should be ‘temporarily relocated’ for the rebuilding process.
She hailed Trump’s Gaza proposal as historic and ‘outside of the box’. Leavitt also said US taxpayers would not foot the bill and that Trump would strike a deal with regional partners.
While many are not too keen about his idea, Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, said ‘everybody wants to see peace in the region.’
‘And peace in the region means a better life for the Palestinians. A better life is not necessarily tied to the one that you’re in today,’ Witkoff told Fox News.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (pictured on February 5) also threw in his support, stating that the Pentagon was ‘prepared to look at all options’ related to Gaza
‘A better life is about better opportunity, better financial conditions, better aspirations for you and your family.’
Netanyahu also liked the idea, previously telling Fox News that Trump’s proposal was ‘remarkable’ and urged that it be explored, even as he was not specific about what he believed Trump was offering.
He only vaguely addressed Trump’s plan, saying he did not believe the President was suggesting sending US troops to fight Hamas in Gaza or that the US would finance rebuilding efforts there.
Netanyahu said he supports Trump’s suggestion that Gazans be free to leave and return to the war-ravaged area.
‘They can leave, they can then come back. They can relocate and come back,’ Netanyahu said without offering specifics.
‘It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone.’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also threw in his support, stating that the Pentagon was ‘prepared to look at all options’ related to Gaza.
