U.S. President Donald Trump shocked the world with his suggestion that the United States take over not just the rebuilding of Gaza, but its administration. 

“I don’t want to be cute. I don’t want to be a wise guy, but – the Riviera of the Middle East. This could be so magnificent,” Trump said during a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following their meeting. 

“The U.S. 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. Level it out,” he said. 

When asked by a reporter who would live in Gaza, Trump said, “I envision the world’s people living there.”  Netanyahu, speaking with Trump at the press conference, welcomed the idea. “I think it’s worth paying attention to. We are talking about it,” Netanyahu said. “I think it is something that could change history, and it is worthwhile really pursuing this idea.” 

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said he would “keep an open mind” but suggested the plan would receive pushback from Arab states. “We’ll see what our Arab friends say about that,” he remarked. 

Speaking before the Netanyahu-Trump meeting, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz described the challenges in rebuilding Gaza due to the massive destruction, unexploded ordinance and the remaining Hamas terror tunnels. 

“At some point, we have to look realistically, how do you rebuild Gaza? What does that look like? What is the timeline?” Waltz said. “A lot of people were looking at very unrealistic timelines. We’re talking 10 to 15 years.”

The reaction to Trump’s remarks among Israeli politicians has been almost unanimously positive and excited. 

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