Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed Tuesday that the United States has given Israel the green light to transform the Gaza Strip into a "resort town" once Palestinians are relocated.
“We will occupy Gaza and make it an inseparable part of Israel,” Smotrich said during a conference at the Knesset titled “The Gaza Riviera – From Vision to Reality.”
According to Smotrich, the plan envisions Gaza as a prosperous, employment-rich coastal area. “We have the green light from the president of the United States (Donald Trump) to turn Gaza into a resort town. That’s how you make peace,” he said.
Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, added that a proposed initiative to relocate Palestinians to other countries would help pave the way for Israeli settlement across the territory.
“We can start with the northern border and establish three communities there. We are already talking about it,” Smotrich said.
There was no immediate U.S. comment on Smotrich’s statements. The idea of turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” was reportedly floated by Trump earlier this year.
While Smotrich did not provide further details about the plan, he reiterated his position at a separate conference in West Jerusalem, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with full occupation of the Gaza Strip.
“I call on the prime minister to set a deadline for negotiations with Hamas, and to give it a final 24-hour ultimatum to accept the terms,” he said.
“If it doesn’t, declare the end of any possibility for a partial deal and order the army to implement the plan for full control of the Strip and humanitarian separation, leading to either Hamas’ complete surrender or total destruction.”
Indirect negotiations are currently underway in Doha between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar and Egypt with U.S. support, to reach a deal on a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire in Gaza. Two partial agreements were reached in November 2023 and January 2024.
Hamas has repeatedly affirmed its willingness to release all Israeli captives in one batch, in exchange for an end to the war and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Israel has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians – most of them women and children – in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed its health system, and led to severe food shortages.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military operations in the enclave.
