Donald Trump has promoted a controversial vision for what his ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ plan for the Gaza Strip could look like when the war between Israel and Hamas has ended.
The AI-generated video in a series of bold, gaudy images showing a new Trump hotel, a giant golden statue of Trump, and a child holding a Trump balloon among resplendent beach front resort complexes
Elsewhere, ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk is seen enjoying the sights and sounds, eating some food and tossing around cash to visitors and children, while Trump dances with a belly dancer and drinks cocktails with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump laid out an extraordinary plan to turn Gaza into a luxurious resort town at a press conference with Netanyahu earlier this month, stating: ‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too.’
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 global lawmakers and leaders across the region was one of ‘revulsion.’
But while the proposal has sparked international concern, Palestinians living in war-ravaged Gaza said they are ready to leave.
Meanwhile, Trump’s top Middle East advisor is engaging in phase two of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas this week.
Donald Trump has offered an AI-created vision for what his ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ plan for the Gaza Strip could look like when the war between Israel and Hamas has ended
One of the images seen in the clip is a giant golden statue of the president
Trump’s Gaza proposal was initially met with global criticism by both lawmakers and analysts who fear the plan would forcibly displace Gaza’s population of two million.
Critics in the US also wondered if the President’s vision would plunge the nation into the potentially bloody role of occupying power.
Trump has talked about the US helping redevelop war torn Gaza and turning it into a desirable destination – but has cast doubt over whether Palestinians would be welcomed back to their home after fleeing to surrounding countries amid the conflict.
‘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 said in the early February press conference.
But 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.’
Trump seemed to further promote the plan late Tuesday night by posting a 35-second video to his Truth Social account that began with the question: ‘Gaza 2025: What’s Next?’. It is unclear who created the video.
The video shows Trump, Musk and Netanyahu enjoying the glamour of the rebuilt Gaza coastline.
In a strange moment, a group of bearded and long-haired belly dancers perform on the sand as a song made for the clip plays in the background.
The song’s lyrics go: ‘Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear, Trump Gaza is finally here, Trump Gaza’s shining bright, golden future, a brand new light, feast and dance, the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.’
Later, Trump is seen enjoying the company of a non-bearded belly dancer in a restaurant with multiple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Towards the end, the marquee of the rebuilt region’s biggest building is seen, declaring it: ‘TRUMP GAZA.’
In the center of the area, a gigantic, golden statue of the president looms over various tourists. Inside one of the buildings, a shop selling all-golden miniatures of Trump’s head is seen.
Finally, Trump and Netanyahu are shown lying on the beach, topless, with a drink in hand. DailyMail.com has reached out to the White House for comment.
Late Tuesday night, Trump appeared to give a first glimpse at what that job will look like, posting a 35-second video to his Truth Social account beginning with the question: ‘Gaza 2025: What’s Next?’
The artificially generated video at various points shows ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk enjoying the sights and sounds, eating some food and tossing around cash to visitors and children
While Trump’s Gaza 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.
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Thousands of Israelis line the streets for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her young sons
‘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.
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.
In a strange moment, a group of bearded and long-haired belly dancers perform on the sand as a song made for the clip plays in the background
Later, the president is seen enjoying the company of a non-bearded belly dancer in a restaurant with multiple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling
The video has created an uproar online with many X users quickly branding it as ‘absolutely horrifying’ and ‘filth on a world stage’, while others argued that it is time for people to ‘start taking Trump’s plan for Gaza more seriously’.
Many social media users, however, were shocked and at a ‘loss for words’ by Trump’s sharing of the video at all, with some suggesting the post makes the US look like it is ‘not a serious country’.
‘Trump just dropped an AI-generated fantasy of a “future Gaza,” pitching it like his next real estate venture. This isn’t a campaign – it’s a delusional sales pitch for a world that only exists in his head,’ one furious X user tweeted.
‘He treats geopolitics like a SimCity expansion pack. Reality check: He’s no peacemaker, no strategist – just a fraudulent landlord selling pipe dreams and leaving chaos behind.’
The Republicans Against Trump account said the video is ‘a reminder that in recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly said that the US will “own Gaza” and has said its 2 million residents will be relocated.’
‘I don’t even know where to start or finish on this one. It is a dystopian nightmare of AI generation. In every sense,’ tweeted another.
One shocked X user added: ‘President Trump just shared this video “Trump Gaza”. The future is, at the very least, extremely interesting.’
‘US President Donald J. Trump has posted this AI video and song on Truth Social, claiming to show the “future” of the Gaza Strip, I’m seriously at a loss for words right now,’ another echoed.
‘I think people need to start taking Trump’s plan for Gaza more seriously. I think the man has a vision for peace that nobody has ever had before. Blessed be the peacemakers,’ another replied.
The video has created an uproar online with many X users quickly branding it as ‘absolutely horrifying’ and ‘filth on a world stage’, while others argued that it is time for people to ‘start taking Trump’s plan for Gaza more seriously’. Many social media users, however, were shocked and at a ‘loss for words’ by Trump’s sharing of the video at all, with some suggesting the post makes the US look like it is ‘not a serious country’
One user joked that by sharing the video online ‘Trump is straight up trolling the liberals at this point!’
‘Trump Gaza looks pretty woke to me,’ another sarcastically quipped, seemingly referencing a strange moment in the video where a group of bearded and long-haired belly dancers perform on the sand as a song made for the clip plays in the background.
The song’s lyrics go: ‘Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear, Trump Gaza is finally here, Trump Gaza’s shining bright, golden future, a brand new light, feast and dance, the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.’
Meanwhile, Trump’s top Middle East advisor is engaging in phase two of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas this week.
Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend of Trump’s and now his Special Envoy to the Middle East, said that a major part of the second phase is to ensure that Hamas ‘physically’ leaves Gaza – the Palestinian territory where the terrorist group has been operating as the de facto government.
Asked where Hamas would go if they were driven out of Gaza, Witkoff told CBS host Margaret Brennan: ‘I think the devil is in the details and we’ve had discussions around it.’
‘I’m not at liberty to have that specific discussion today, but we’ve got some ideas, and that will be part of the negotiation,’ he added in an interview on Brennan’s show Face the Nation.
Another priority Witkoff detailed on Sunday morning is to ensure the release of Edan Alexander, a US citizen still in Hamas captivity.
Mourners gather around the convoy carrying the coffins of slain hostages Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, during their funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025
The bodies of Shiri Bibas and her children, Kfir and Ariel, (all pictured) were returned to Israel last week by Hamas
Hamas will return the bodies of four dead Israeli hostages on Thursday in exchange for Israel’s release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the terrorist group said – just days before the first phase of the ceasefire between the warring parties was to expire.
Israel has delayed the release of about 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday to protest what it says is the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas.
The militant group has said that the delay is a ‘serious violation’ of their ceasefire and that talks on a second phase aren’t possible until the Palestinians are freed.
Thousands of mourners, carrying flags and orange balloons, gathered Wednesday for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in Gaza captivity and had become symbols of Israel’s hostage ordeal.
The bodies of Shiri Bibas and her children – Kfir and Ariel – were returned to Israel last week by Hamas as part of the ongoing ceasefire that has halted the more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza.
Israel’s national anthem was played as the black vehicle convoy passed through the crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.
Thousands of people lined the route to kibbutz Nir Oz, where the Bibas family lived before their abduction by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023, and where their burial was set to take place later.
Israelis reacts during a funeral procession for Shiri, 32, and her two children Kfir, 9 months old, and Ariel, 4, of the Bibas family, who were kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and then killed in Gaza, in Rishon Le’Zion, Israel February 26, 2025
An Israeli woman reacts during a funeral procession for Shiri, 32, and her two children Kfir, 9 months old, and Ariel, 4, of the Bibas family, who were kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and then killed in Gaza, in Rishon Le’Zion, Israel February 26, 2025
Dozens of people lit candles at the roadside during the procession
Shiri Bibas and her two children were taken from their kibbutz by Palestinian militants during their unprecedented attack on Israel
Trump’s Gaza proposal, however, has been scrutinized by Democrats, Republicans and Middle East leaders alike.
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.
Republican Senator Rand Paul took to X to share his thoughts, saying: ‘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.
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.
Elsewhere, a child is seen holding up a large, golden balloon with Trump’s head recreated
Towards the end, the marquee of the rebuilt region’s biggest building is seen, declaring it: ‘TRUMP GAZA’
Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu are shown lying on the beach, topless, with a drink in hand
The president laid out the extraordinary plan at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month, stating: ‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too’
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.
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.’
Trump said that the US would take over the Gaza strip while its Palestinian population would be moved to neighboring countries
A view of one of the displacement camps at the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City
‘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.
‘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.