In comments made during a radio interview earlier this week, former US President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term in office, said that Gaza had the potential to be “better than Monaco”, but that the region’s leaders “never took advantage” of its geographical location. 

Speaking to conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt on Monday, the US presidential candidate suggested that the war-torn Palestinian territory “could be better than Monaco” if given the opportunity.  

Trump, who is pursuing a second term as US President, went on to assert that the region’s leaders “never took advantage” of Gaza’s geographical location in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

“As a developer, it could be the most beautiful place: the weather, the water, the whole thing, the climate,” he said. “It could be better than Monaco. It has the best location in the Middle East, the best water, the best everything… I’ve said it for years.” 

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The Republican candidate, who is known for his outlandish, headline-grabbing statements, also claimed that he had been to Gaza, despite no evidence that he was ever there, describing it as “a rough place”. 

Following the interview, the New York Times obtained a quote from a Trump campaign official who attempted to backtrack on the claim by saying, “Gaza is in Israel. President Trump has been to Israel.” 

Gaza is not part of Israel, though the country’s current government has made several calls for its annexation.

Trump’s radio remarks echo those of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who said back in February that Gaza’s “waterfront property could be very valuable”. 

To date, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the offensive between Israel and Hamas broke out in October 2023. At least three-quarters of its 2.3 million-strong population has been displaced. The UN and World Bank estimated the cost of rebuilding Gaza’s critical infrastructure at $18.5 billion in a statement last April.  

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Photo source: Dujuan Bell, Facebook