Trump claims he visited Gaza before, says it could be better than Monaco

Donald Trump lamented Monday that war-torn Gaza could be "one of the best places in the world," claiming the Palestinian people living there had not done enough to exploit their Mediterranean location.

Conservative media personality Hugh Hewitt asked the Republican White House nominee and former real estate developer in a radio interview if Gaza could rival Monaco if it were "rebuilt the right way."

"It could be better than Monaco. It has the best location in the Middle East, the best water, the best everything," Trump replied.

Trump said he had "been there" and that it made him say "wow", although he alleged that the locals "never took advantage" of their seafront views.

"It could be the most beautiful place. The weather, the water, the whole thing, that climate, could be so beautiful. It could be the best thing in the Middle East, but it could be one of the best places in the world."

Trump may have been inspired by his son-in-law and former White House employee Jared Kushner, who suggested in February that Israel empty Gaza of civilians to unlock the potential of its "waterfront property."

Trump's remarks came on the first anniversary of the 7 October attacks. The Gaza Health Ministry says 41,909 people, the majority of civilians, have been killed since the start of Israel's war. The figures have been deemed to be reliable by the United Nations.

Initial predictions estimate the costs to reconstruct Gaza to be as high as $80 billion due to the severity of Israel's destruction of the enclave.

Hospitals, schools, and other infrastructure would also have to be rebuilt. But first, the over 42 million tonnes of rubble—Gaza City accounts for 15.4 million tonnes — would have to be removed.

The UN has proposed a four-phase plan that would deal with the rubble across the Gaza Strip, which they estimate would take up to 15 years to remove.

This includes preparation, initial clean-up, clearing, and final disposal phases. Challenges that are predicted to arise include disposing of bombs and hazards like asbestos and recovering bodies.