President Donald Trump has suggested transforming the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East” as part of an audacious plan to relocate millions of Palestinians from the war-torn area and convert it into U.S. territory.

He shared this idea during a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday.

“We’ll do a real job. Do something different,” Trump stated.

Many observers are left questioning the seriousness of Trump’s proposal. If genuine, it represents a significant shift in U.S. policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it may also violate international law. This idea has faced strong opposition from U.S. allies and officials worldwide, as well as from Palestinians.

Here are five key insights regarding Trump’s unexpected proposal.

The U.S. would “control” Gaza

Trump claimed that the U.S. would “take over” Gaza and manage its reconstruction for the “long-term.” However, he did not clarify how this takeover would occur, who would fund it, or what legal basis it would have. Currently, Hamas still governs Gaza, which has been under its control for 16 months following its attack on Israel and subsequent military operations.

According to the United Nations, approximately 70% of Gaza’s buildings and infrastructure have been devastated due to the conflict. Trump mentioned that about 1.8 million Palestinians remaining in Gaza should relocate to neighboring nations that possess “humanitarian hearts” and “great wealth.” He proposed demolishing the remaining structures to create an economy that would potentially provide countless jobs and homes for the local populace.

While Trump did not dismiss the idea of deploying U.S. troops to Gaza, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured reporters that he has “not committed” to sending troops. Leavitt further stated that the U.S. “will not pay for the reconstruction of Gaza.”

Trump’s Gaza plan faced heavy criticism

The idea was deemed “absurd” by Hamas. The Palestinian Authority, governing the West Bank as a separate Palestinian territory, “strongly rejected” Trump’s proposal, asserting that “legitimate Palestinian rights are not up for negotiation.” Both Jordan and Egypt, suggested destinations for displaced Gazans, also voiced their disapproval.

Despite this, Trump remarked that “everyone” he had spoken to “loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.” However, he did not provide specific names. Social media saw Secretary of State Marco Rubio referring to it with a post saying, “Make Gaza beautiful again.”

Meanwhile, top officials from China to Russia condemned the plan as impractical. Turkey called it “unacceptable,” while Saudi Arabia outright rejected the proposal, stating it would not pursue formal diplomatic ties with Israel if implemented. The UK remarked that a scenario allowing Palestinians to return home must be considered, while France warned it could lead to regional destabilization.

In the U.S., Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) claimed Trump had “totally lost it,” suggesting that a U.S. incursion into Gaza could result in significant American military casualties and protracted conflict in the Middle East. “It’s like a bad, sick joke,” he added. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, a supporter of Trump, responded with caution, stating, “We’ll see what our Arab friends say. I think most South Carolinians would not be excited about sending Americans to take over Gaza.”

No clear solution for a ‘two-state’ or ‘one-state’ option

Trump’s proposal seemingly contradicts and undermines the established “two-state solution,” which has been the longstanding formula for peace between Israel and the Palestinians supported by the U.S. and the international community.

The two-state solution envisions an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting alongside Israel.

When pressed about this issue, Trump offered no definitive answer. “It doesn’t mean anything about a two-state or one-state or any other state. It means that we want to give people a chance at life,” he stated, adding that living conditions in Gaza have been terrible.

Rachel Brandenburg, a fellow at the Israel Policy Forum—a think tank advocating for the two-state solution—insisted that the idea of the U.S. “taking over Gaza and relocating Palestinians” lacks feasibility, morality, and legal justification. Amnesty International Executive Director Paul O’Brien asserted that displacing all Palestinians from Gaza would equate to obliterating their identity as a people.

Strong backlash from Palestinians

Forcibly relocating civilians can constitute a war crime, a particularly sensitive issue among Palestinians. Many are haunted by the potential of experiencing another “Nakba,” which refers to the mass displacement of countless Palestinians during the 1948 war that accompanied the establishment of Israel.

Sami Omar Zidan, a 36-year-old Gazan who escaped to Egypt and then Oman last year after losing his home, expressed frustration. Married with a five-year-old daughter and a pregnant wife, he longs to return to Gaza to rebuild his life. Zidan, like many others from Gaza, is outraged at the U.S. for its military support of Israel and its backing of Israeli leadership.

He labeled Trump a “businessman with a greedy heart” and contended that Trump is primarily concerned with profit. Zidan speculated that it wouldn’t be surprising if Trump sought to assert control over the West Bank as well.

On Tuesday, Trump indicated that he might share a position on Israeli control over the West Bank within the next month. “We haven’t been taking a position on it yet,” he noted.

Was this Trump’s plan or Jared Kushner’s?

Reports from Puck News suggest that Jared Kushner, Trump’s former senior advisor who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka and was involved in Middle Eastern policy during Trump’s first term, may have influenced his father-in-law’s proposal.

Kushner played a role in shaping Trump’s comments. In fact, in a February interview, Kushner suggested that Israel should evacuate civilians from Gaza while it undergoes a “cleanup.”

“Kushner remarked that Gaza’s valuable coastal properties could possibility become significant if focus shifts to improving livelihoods,” during remarks made at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government through the Middle East Initiative.