Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has described the Gaza Strip—where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed and, according to an April 2025 UN report, 92% of residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed—as "a real estate gold mine."
Making the remarks on September 17, Smotrich also stated that a Gaza reconstruction plan is already on US President Donald Trump’s desk.
Indeed, Trump has long promoted the idea of transforming Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East." The AI-generated video he posted on social media in February 2025, showing himself and former ally Elon Musk dancing in a Dubai-like version of Gaza, is an example of his intentions.
Smotrich’s statement follows a United Nations Human Rights Council report describing what is happening in Gaza as "genocide."
The devastation has continued for nearly two years. In the hours following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Just 20 days later, it began a massive ground invasion that has since escalated into one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history.
But what remains of Gaza? Click on to discover.