U.S. President Donald Trump proposes that the U.S. control the Gaza Strip and transform it into what he calls a “free zone.”
Trump said at a meeting in Qatar in Doha that the United States should be directly involved in rebuilding the war-torn enclave, which has suffered nearly all damage since the war after October 7, 2023, with attacks on Israel by Hamas-led terrorists.
“I have a concept for Gaza that I think is very good. Make it a free zone,” Trump said. “Let the United States participate in it and make it a free zone.”
He added, adding: “I am proud of having the United States own it, accept it, make it a free zone,” although he did not provide specific details on what the program would need.
Trump has previously proposed the idea of relocating nearly 2 million residents in Gaza and redeveloping the area to a resort destination, and even shared his own generated video in the fictional “Future Gaza Riviera”.
He believes Gaza has become a satellite image and reports that it is estimated that about 70% of the infrastructure in the region has been destroyed or damaged.
“It’s not about saving something. There are no buildings,” Trump said. “People live under the ruins of collapsed buildings, which is unacceptable.”
Despite the Israeli government’s interest in Trump’s vision, the idea has been strongly resisted by Arab countries and Middle East allies who refuse to resettle displaced Palestinians. Many Palestinians also rejected the idea of giving up their homeland, although some (insufficient in the war) said they would open up relocation.
The future of Gaza remains uncertain, with ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas stagnating since the release of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage, earlier this week.
