Trump and Netanyahu’s colonial fantasy: Takeover Gaza, expel Palestinians

Yesterday, I posted a satirical comment on X:

"The President of the United States of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Governor of the State of America, Donald Trump, have jointly declared that Gaza will become the 54th U.S. state.

This announcement comes just days after they unilaterally designated Canada as the 51st state, Greenland as the 52nd, and Panama as the highly coveted 53rd."

It was meant as satire and sarcasm—mocking Trump and Netanyahu’s brazen disregard for international norms. Yet, in a development that would have seemed too ridiculous even for satire, Trump has now announced his intention for the United States to “take over” Gaza, possibly with U.S. troops, and turn it into a luxury destination once its Palestinian inhabitants have been permanently removed.

Trump described Gaza as a “big pile of rubble” and suggested that Palestinians should relocate elsewhere—permanently. His vision is clear: erase the people, claim the land, and redevelop it into something more palatable to Western and Israeli interests. This is not just rhetoric; it is the latest and most explicit step in the ongoing displacement of Palestinians, a policy that international law deems a war crime.

Trump’s plan to “own” Gaza—whether through direct American administration or by turning it into a U.S.-controlled enclave—represents a 21st-century colonial project in real-time. His remarks, delivered while standing alongside Netanyahu, painted a surreal picture:

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll make sure that it’s done world-class. It’ll be wonderful for the people—Palestinians, Palestinians mostly, we’re talking about.”

The idea that Gaza should become U.S. property is, on its face, laughable. Yet, given Trump’s past obsession with buying Greenland, seizing control of Panama, and treating Canada as an extension of American territory, his ambitions are no longer confined to mere bluster. His administration is actively normalizing discussions of forced displacement and land seizure as viable policy options.

Trump, ever the real estate developer, envisions Gaza not as a homeland but as a vacant lot waiting for redevelopment. He has referred to the enclave’s prime coastal location as an economic opportunity, echoing Jared Kushner’s earlier remarks about Gaza’s “valuable waterfront property”. In his mind, Palestinians are obstacles to be removed, not people with historic ties to the land.

This language mirrors the logic of past colonial projects, where indigenous populations were forcibly displaced to make room for settlers and commercial ventures. The British used similar arguments to justify land confiscation in Kenya, just as the Zionist movement in the early 20th century framed Palestine as a barren wasteland needing transformation. Today, Trump is simply applying the same logic to Gaza.

Trump’s plan isn’t just immoral—it’s illegal. Under Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the forcible transfer or deportation of an occupied population is strictly prohibited. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) defines such actions as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Legal experts have condemned Trump’s proposal as a blatant violation of international law.

Omer Shatz, a lecturer at Sciences Po Paris and ICC counsel, stated:

“We are witnessing an extremely dangerous but natural continuation of the dehumanization and genocidal calls that we have seen from the most extreme voices inside Israel.”

Even Israel’s allies have been alarmed by Trump’s rhetoric. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt have outright rejected any forced resettlement of Palestinians, with Saudi officials warning that such a move would “jeopardize regional stability” and undermine peace efforts.

This is not a new crisis—it is the latest chapter in the long history of Palestinian dispossession. Since the Nakba of 1948, when 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes, Israel has systematically worked to erase Palestinian presence from the land. Gaza’s population—now nearly 2 million—has endured decades of siege, bombings, and forced displacement.

Hassan Jabareen, director of the Palestinian rights group Adalah, warns:

“To ‘clean’ Gaza immediately after the war would in fact be a continuation of the war, through the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”

Trump’s plan is an extension of this strategy. By pushing Palestinians out of Gaza and refusing their right to return, he is advancing Israel’s long-standing goal of eliminating Palestinian claims to the land altogether.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of Trump’s proposal is his refusal to rule out sending U.S. troops to Gaza. His language leaves open the possibility of a long-term American military presence, effectively turning Gaza into a U.S. protectorate.

Even his Republican allies are uneasy. Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump supporter, responded cautiously, saying:

"I don’t know what he’s talking about,” he said. “But go talk to MBS [Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman], go talk to UAE, go talk to Egypt. What is their plan for the Palestinians? Do they want to leave? Or what is the plan?"

Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have spoken. While engaging diplomatically with the US and Israel and being too muted on the genocide have reaffirmed the Palestinian people's right to an independent state on their own land -- and this remains non-negotiable.

But Trump remains undeterred. He insists Palestinians “have no alternative” but to leave, making clear that his vision for Gaza does not include its native population.

Instead of pursuing reckless territorial expansion, the U.S. should be holding Israel accountable for its obligations under international law. As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for the welfare of Gaza’s population. Yet, instead of upholding its legal duties, Israel seeks to offload its humanitarian catastrophe onto neighbouring countries.

If Palestinians are to be relocated, the only rightful place is the land they were expelled from—inside Israel. Anything less is an endorsement of ethnic cleansing.

Trump’s proposal is not just an outrageous diplomatic blunder—it is an existential threat to Palestinian survival. The international community must unequivocally reject his dangerous colonial vision.

Gaza is not a real estate project. It is not U.S. property. It is the home of millions of people who have already suffered decades of displacement and oppression. The world cannot allow this latest chapter of ethnic cleansing to go unchecked.

As Abu Yahya Rashid, a displaced Gazan, defiantly stated:

“This land is ours and the property of our ancestors throughout history. We will not leave it except as corpses.”

The time to act is now. Anything less than complete opposition to Trump’s plan is complicity in the erasure of an entire people.