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sraeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told a Tel Aviv real‑estate forum that the devastation in Gaza could be turned into a profitable development project with U.S. backing. He echoed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier comments that angered Palestinians and raised legal concerns. Smotrich, a far‑right minister in Israel’s current coalition, said the demolition phase of Gaza’s destruction was merely the first step of urban renewal and that rebuilding would be cheaper. “There’s a business plan—listen carefully—set by the most professional people, and it’s on President Trump’s table. It pays off,” he said, adding that negotiations with Americans were underway to split future profits from land marketing in Gaza. He justified the plan by citing the money Israel has spent on the war and the need to recoup it.
Experts say any attempt to seize land or property left by displaced Palestinians would violate international law. Rutgers law professor Adil Haque warned that the plan is linked to a “voluntary emigration” scheme that would expel civilians and then grant Israel permanent control over Gaza—an illegal move. Smotrich’s remarks mirror Trump’s earlier proposal to turn Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East,” though Trump never detailed the takeover. A White House spokesperson told NBC that Trump supports reconstruction but insists Hamas must disarm and relinquish rule first.
The comments come amid intense Israeli bombing of Gaza City on the second day of a large‑scale assault that has forced thousands of Palestinians southward. Gaza’s health ministry reported over 100 deaths on Wednesday, 80 of them in Gaza City. If Smotrich’s real‑estate plan gains traction, civilians fleeing the offensive may find no homes to return to. “It’s appalling that any state would profit from the suffering and dispossession of a civilian population,” Haque said. “Killing, injuring, displacing ordinary people is one of the most serious actions a state can take, and it should only be done when absolutely necessary for defense. Seeking profit by acquiring territory and selling it is completely unacceptable.”
A United Nations commission declared on Tuesday that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, urging the international community to halt the campaign and punish those responsible for incitement. Local health officials, whose figures are accepted by the UN and other experts, confirmed that more than 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza—a grim milestone reached Wednesday. The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 hostages. Of the 48 hostages still in Gaza, Israeli intelligence estimates that roughly 20 may be alive.
