Donald Trump has shared his AI-generated vision for Gaza as a rich man's skyscraper-studded playground.
The US President posted the video on his Truth Social platform, which reimagines the strip as a beachfront city named 'Trump Gaza' with Tesla-filled streets.
The scenes sparked condemnation in the Arab world, where his claims that the US could buy or seize Gaza for redevelopment - while resettling Palestinians abroad - have been met with dismay.
“The entire video is provocative, and the name he is choosing is not acceptable, what does he mean by Trump Gaza, why does he think it is for him,” Heba Wiliam, 36, who lives in Al Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, told The National. Her home has been partially destroyed, and she has been displaced many times with her three sons.
“He probably sees Gaza as a coastal city with an excellent location and climate, where he could develop tourist areas, build cities, and reconstruct it to rival modern European cities," she added "Gaza was already a beautiful city without his or anyone else's involvement"
His plan to redevelop Gaza and remove more than two million Palestinians, made at a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, caused international outrage and angered the Arab world.
After his return from Washington and in an address to his cabinet, Mr Netanyahu praised the proposal, calling it “revolutionary”. But Gazans were defiant over any attempt to relocate them from the enclave, saying Mr Trump's plans to take control and redevelop the territory were “fantasies” bound to fail.
Trump sees the issue as an investment project. We view it as an existential struggle that is nearly impossible
Ahmad Hassouna,
38, who lives in Gaza
"It's completely unacceptable, and the video is extremely provocative. There's a clear violation of our privacy, our country, and our very existence, Gaza is for Gazans only," Ibtisam Abu Saif, 50, who lives in her family's home after her house was completely destroyed told The National.
“There’s no way we can accept Trump’s interference in this way—in controlling Gaza and shaping it according to his own preferences and whims, the video is absolutely rejected and deeply offensive to our feelings.”
The footage shows an AI-generated Elon Musk throwing cash in the air and golden statues of Trump.
A music track with the video says: “No more tunnels, no more fear, Trump Gaza is finally here. Trump Gaza shining bright, golden future, a brand new light. Feast and dance, the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.”
Gaudy vision
The footage depicts a coastal city with promenades, high-rises and shimmering beaches - similar to Tel Aviv.
Stranger details include bearded belly dancers, a child holding a gold balloon in the shape of Mr Trump’s face and a huge golden statue of the US President himself. Mr Musk throws cash in the air for the poor to apparently scoop up.
At the end, Mr Trump himself is seen sipping a drink on a lounger beside Mr Netanyahu, at the “Trump Gaza" resort.
"Trump sees the issue as an investment project and doesn't see anything else. On the other hand, the Palestinians view it as an existential struggle that is non-negotiable and nearly impossible,” Ahmad Hassouna, 38, who lives in Gaza told The National.
“Trump does not understand the concept of belief and attachment to the original homeland, to the motherland... Palestinians consider themselves as belonging to this land since the dawn of history, It has a religious meaning for them that cannot be compromised,” he added.
Gaza reconstruction
On Monday, the EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that the bloc rejects plans to forcibly displace Gazans, as concern mounts over a ceasefire in the war-torn and violence escalates in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Meanwhile, Egypt is actively working with discreet diplomacy to persuade as many Arab heads of state as possible to participate in an emergency summit scheduled for next week, exerting its regional weight to persuade the Arab League's 22 members to take a meaningful stand against Mr Trump's Gaza plans.
While travelling on Air Force One to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Mr Trump told reporters earlier this month he wants to make sure that Hamas “doesn't move back” to control the enclave.
Israel has made the removal of Hamas from power one of its primary objectives in the war, which has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza since it began on October 7, 2023. The war erupted after Palestinian militant factions led by Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israeli communities, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages.
The future governance of Gaza is also tied to its post-war reconstruction, which is expected to cost billions of dollars. Many international donors, particularly western governments, have signalled that they will not fund Gaza’s rebuilding efforts unless Hamas relinquishes control of the territory.
However, disarming Hamas is “beyond impossible” and not up for negotiation, a member of the group’s political leadership told The National on Tuesday, days after the militant faction welcomed a unified Palestinian “supervision” of Gaza.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
