U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to push President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Gaza’s more than 2 million residents and redevelop the strip into a luxury coastal hub dubbed the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Rubio’s visit to Israel marks his first trip to the region as Washington’s top diplomat and comes amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown support for the plan, but it has faced widespread rejection from foreign leaders. Experts warn that forcibly displacing Gaza’s population would amount to ethnic cleansing.
Rubio arrived in Tel Aviv just hours after Hamas exchanged three Israeli hostages for 369 Palestinian prisoners, marking the sixth swap under the fragile truce. The next phase of negotiations, aimed at securing a longer-term ceasefire, is set to begin next week in Doha.
Despite resistance from Arab nations, the Trump administration insists, “the only plan is Trump’s.” Rubio is also scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where tough discussions are expected.
Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel’s decisions regarding Gaza, stating on Truth Social, “Israel will now have to decide what they will do. The United States will back the decision they make!”
Meanwhile, Egypt is reportedly working on an alternative plan, focused on training a new security force and appointing local Palestinian leaders. Rubio acknowledged these efforts but maintained that Hamas “must have no future role.”
