Donald Trump envisions war-torn Gaza as luxury spot 'better than Monaco', Internet calls him 'shameless'

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: In true Trumpian fashion, the former president kicked off Monday morning, October 7 with some eyebrow-raising comments.

During a radio interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Donald Trump shared his thoughts on a rather interesting topic: the potential of Gaza as a tourist hotspot. Yes, Trump is picturing the war-torn Gaza Strip as a luxurious vacation destination, maybe even "better than Monaco."

Donald Trump's vision for Gaza

It all began when Hewitt asked Trump: "Could Gaza be Monaco if it was rebuilt the right way? Could someone make Gaza into something that all the Palestinian people would be proud of, would want to live in, would benefit them?"

Trump responded enthusiastically. "It could be better than Monaco. The best water, the best everything. It's got, it is the best, I've said it for years. You know, I've been there, and it's rough. It's a rough place, before the, you know, before all of the attacks and before the back-and-forth, what's happened over the last couple of years," he said.

Of course, Gaza’s current predicament is far from luxurious. Trump’s comments come just a year after Hamas-led militants launched a devastating surprise attack on Israel. That attack, which occurred on October 7, led to the deaths of around 1,200 people — most of whom were civilians — and the abduction of 250 others.

Hamas still holds around 100 captives in Gaza, and the conflict has been brutal. Israel has been at war with Hamas ever since that attack, and the US has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has only worsened with time. Israeli ground operations and airstrikes have ravaged the region, and reports from Hamas-run health authorities suggest more than 41,000 people have died since Israel began its campaign to dismantle Hamas.

The international community has raised concerns about the 2 million people living in the territory, as they face unthinkable conditions due to the ongoing violence, Newsweek reported.

Despite the ground realities, Trump didn’t hold back in sharing his vision for Gaza’s future. "You know, as a developer, it could be the most beautiful place—the weather, the water, the whole thing, the climate," he told Hewitt. "It could be so beautiful. It could be the best thing in the Middle East, but it could be one of the best places in the world."

According to Weatherspark, Gaza enjoys long, warm summers, with muggy yet arid weather. Winters are relatively cool and mostly clear, and temperatures range from 50 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. 

Trump trolled on social media for his comments

Predictably, Trump’s comments were met with plenty of trolling on social media. Critics were quick to mock the idea of turning Gaza into a beach resort while overlooking the severe humanitarian crisis.

"Trumps policy solution to the Israel/Gaza conflict. More beach-front property," one posted on X.

"So Trump‘s policy solution to the Israeli/palestinian conflict is to offer more beach front property? the same guy who wanted to nuke a hurricane?" another wondered.

Even some Newsweek readers didn’t hold back.

"Let me guess: Donald wants a building permit once Israel has killed all those pesky Palestinians," one wrote.

"Never, in the whole history of humankind, was a person as shameless as this sorry excuse for a human being," someone else fumed.

"Move there, Mr. Trump," another insisted.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.