How Trump’s Plan to Turn Gaza into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ Sparked Widespread Outrage

US President Donald Trump's statements during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu caused widespread shock after he announced his plan to evacuate the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian residents and impose control over it.

Trump described Gaza as a demolition site, indicating the need to rebuild it and transform it into a high-end tourist destination, similar to the French Riviera.

These statements came to confirm a dangerous colonial trend, as Trump indicated his vision of Gaza as an area free of Palestinians under American administration, which sparked angry reactions locally and internationally, amid warnings of the consequences of this plan on the future of the Palestinian cause and the Middle East.

Following that, social media users expressed their denunciation of Trump's statements, and considered them the most dangerous thing said by an American president, participating in several hashtags, most notably #GazaPlan, #RivieraoftheMiddleEast, and #Trump.

According to observers, Trump's plan for Gaza is not new, but rather an extension of the ideas of the extreme Israeli right, who have always believed that the best solution to the Palestinian cause is to empty the land of its inhabitants and resettle them elsewhere.

Gaza Riviera Plan

The echoes of US President Donald Trump's announcement regarding controlling Gaza, displacing the Palestinian population and turning it into the Riviera of the Middle East, continue to cast their shadows on the global scene, which was shaken by an unprecedented shock due to this proposal.

The press conference held by Trump was more like a show through which he wanted to lay out a plan for a solution in the Middle East, not only from a political perspective, but also from a real estate perspective.

He considered Gaza as a piece of land that needs investments, in stark contrast to his previous position calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the Middle East.

He revealed his readiness to send US forces to ensure long-term control over the Strip, reflecting a new colonial approach that goes beyond the traditional US policy towards the Middle East.

The new plan is similar to one proposed last year by Trump’s investor son-in-law Jared Kushner to move the Palestinians out of Gaza and to clean it up to develop the territory’s very valuable Mediterranean waterfront.

Although Trump’s plan appears practically unworkable, it has provided political gains and has been seen as a lifeline for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, easing domestic pressure.

The Israeli right, led by Netanyahu and his far-right allies Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, saw Trump’s plan for the future of Gaza as an unprecedented endorsement of their extremist positions.

Israel's Army Minister Israel Katz welcomed Trump's bold plan, and said: “I instructed to prepare a plan that will allow any resident of Gaza who is interested to leave to any place in the world that agrees to accept them.”

Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance, promised that he would do everything to bury the idea of a Palestinian state for good.

The plan also pleased Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz, who called it creative, original, and interesting.

“Trump’s proposal about Gaza is brilliant, historic and the only idea I have heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region,” wrote David M. Friedman, Trump’s former ambassador to Israel in his first term.

Some Republicans in the US Congress expressed support for Trump's plan. 

Reps. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, and Richard Hudson, R-North Carolina, both members of the House Republican Israel Caucus, were among those supporting the plan.

“President Trump will never stop working to ensure historic and lasting PEACE!” Hudson wrote on X.

“Let’s turn Gaza into Mar-A-Lago,” Mace said in her post on X.

However, Trump's plan was met with significant skepticism by Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, a Trump ally and U.S. foreign policy maven.

“I fear putting American troops on the ground now in the midst of a raging Middle East will yield the same results as in 1983 when 241 US troops were killed in Lebanon,” Graham said.

Widespread Outrage

Despite the president's statements, the chances of realizing this project on the ground face significant obstacles.

The demographic and military reality indicates that the displacement of two million Palestinians is not just a political project, but a complex military operation that could ignite a long-term war.

In addition, there is widespread official and popular Arab rejection of the displacement plan, but Trump, dazzled by his power and colonial tendencies, believes that he will force some Arab leaders to accept his plan.

The international community cannot bear the responsibility of supporting ethnic cleansing of this magnitude, which may exacerbate conflicts in the region, making this option politically and strategically costly.

Trump's statements were met with decisive rejection by various Palestinian factions, as Hamas described them as absurd and an attempt to legitimize forced displacement.

On the Arab level, Trump's plan sparked great resentment, as Egypt and Jordan affirmed their rejection of any attempts to resettle Palestinians outside their land, stressing that this contradicts their historical and political rights.

As for Saudi Arabia, it renewed its position rejecting any normalization of relations with Israel without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, including the establishment of an independent state for the Palestinians.

Several European countries, including the UK, Spain, Slovenia, Belgium and Switzerland, rejected Trump's statements, considering that any plan that involves the forced displacement of Palestinians or the seizure of their lands is in violation of international law.

In response to Trump's remarks, the French Foreign Ministry said that ″displacing Gaza's Palestinians would constitute a grave violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, and a major threat to the two-state solution.″

"A displacement of the Palestinian civilian population from Gaza would not just be unacceptable and against international law. This would also lead to new suffering and new hatred," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described Trump's remarks as unacceptable. He also reiterated his concern that Netanyahu could resume attacks on Gaza following the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

“China opposes the forced relocation of people in Gaza,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said when asked about Trump's comments. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the need to adhere to international law and prevent any forced displacement, and stressed in a speech that the rights of Palestinians are inalienable.

“Trump's plan would move the US from being complicit in war crimes to direct perpetration of atrocities,” said HRW regional director Lama Fakih.

Among the dissenting voices is the human rights NGO B’Tselem, which denounces a call for ethnic cleansing and Trump and Netanyahu’s road map for a second Nakba.

“Unfathomably horrific and cruel for Palestinians. So incredibly foolish re: US interests. And fundamentally at odds with Israel’s own future — because there is no Jewish, democratic Israel without Palestinian self-determination,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. 

Political Ploy

On the other hand, observers believe that Trump's remarks regarding evacuating Gaza and imposing control over it may be merely political outbidding aimed at attracting pro-Israel votes in the upcoming elections.

But at the same time, they reflect a dangerous shift in the American discourse towards the Palestinian cause, as forced displacement and settlement projects are now being publicly presented as legitimate options, in a clear violation of all international and legal norms.

Many US officials have criticized Trump's plan for Gaza, describing it as unrealistic and a political ploy.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, described Trump's plan as something that could only have been issued by a man who has completely lost his mind, indicating that the invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of U.S. troops and decades of war in the Middle East.

“I thought we voted for America First. We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers’ blood,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said on X.

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California, said Trump’s Gaza plans are not a thoughtful strategy that will protect Americans’ security or reduce Defense Department spending.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, slammed the plan as deranged and nuts, calling U.S. military presence in the region a magnet for trouble.

“Trump’s proposal to push 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza and take ‘ownership’ by force if necessary is simply ethnic cleansing by another name,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said.

“Palestinians aren’t going anywhere. This president can only spew this fanatical bullshit because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing,” said Palestinian-American Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan.

“What Trump did yesterday was to basically give Benjamin Netanyahu the green light to resume the war in the next couple of weeks,” said Fawaz Gerges, a veteran Middle East expert.

“Trump’s remarks could be part of his extreme deal-making strategy that will lay the ground for broader Israeli-Saudi normalization talks in exchange for no annexation,” said Sanam Vakil, a director at the London think tank Chatham House.