Smotrich: Gaza is a 'real estate asset' awaiting division with the Americans

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sparked new controversy after describing the Gaza Strip as a "huge real estate wealth," confirming that he is in talks with the United States on how to divide it after the war.

During a real estate conference in Tel Aviv, Smotrich said, "Demolition, which is the first phase of the city's renewal, has already been completed, and now all we have to do is build," adding that dividing the land will help cover the costs of the war.

These statements come at a time when the Israeli army continues its assault on the city of Gaza in the northern part of the territory, amid orders to evacuate hundreds of thousands of residents, while the minister's statements intersect with positions of U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke about turning Gaza into a "Riviera" under American control after displacing the Palestinians.

Earlier reports from American media revealed plans being considered by the Trump administration to place Gaza under American trusteeship for a decade, with the permanent displacement of large numbers of its residents, plans that were rejected by the Palestinians and most countries in the world.