AI-generated video by Trump shows Gaza as lavish resort, drawing criticism

US President Donald Trump shocked social media users when he posted an AI-generated video showing a futuristic vision of Gaza, transformed into a utopian luxury resort.

The video, which Trump shared on both Instagram and his own Truth Social platform, depicts a fake scenario where the war-torn land is rebuilt as a high-end beachfront destination, complete with palm tree-lined streets, gilded Trump-branded buildings, and lavish entertainment.

Among the surreal elements included in the clip are a giant gold statue of Trump himself, bearded belly dancers, and AI-generated versions of Elon Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing.

Critics say the video, set to upbeat music with lyrics proclaiming “Trump Gaza is finally here,” portrays a vision of the region that erases its current destruction and suffering while proposing an American-led redevelopment project.

“The video is quite telling of how President Trump sees Gaza and the possible destruction of Gaza. It has so many elements that need to be analysed carefully”, Alessandro Accorsi, senior analyst for Technology and Conflict at the International Crisis Group, said.

The controversy surrounding the video stems not only from its unrealistic portrayal of Gaza but also from its underlying implications. Trump has already suggested that the US could take control of the Palestinian territory, claiming it has “the best location in the Middle East” and could be turned into “a better Monaco”.

His administration’s reported discussions with real estate developers about rebuilding Gaza have raised concerns Trump’s idea is not just political showmanship but a hint of an actual plan. Experts argue that the video promotes the idea of displacing Gaza’s existing population, an act that would be a violation of international law and widely condemned as ethnic cleansing.

“It really leans into a narrative that has been used many times by the extreme right-wing, for example, in Israel, that presents Palestine as a land of desert and people living in caves without Israel’s influence. At the beginning of the video, we see Palestinians coming out of a cave,” Accorsi explained.

Accorsi, whose role includes examining the use of cyber, electronic and information warfare in today's battlefields, adds that the video “shows that President Trump sees the issue of Gaza and its reconstruction as a real estate deal, which takes away any agency from the Palestinians themselves."

"The fact that he's by the side of a pool with Prime Minister Netanyahu shows this. The idea is that Palestinians will be either displaced temporarily or that Israel will assume control of the Gaza Strip. It doesn’t deal with any of the real issues that we see today," Accorsi said.

“It’s a narrative that tries to tell a multi-dimensional story, a very complex one, in a very unilateral and unidimensional way. It forgets the occupation, it forgets the blockade of Gaza, it forgets the responsibilities of Israel”, he added.

Insensitive and problematic

Beyond the political implications, the video has been criticised for its insensitivity toward the suffering currently taking place in Gaza. The territory has been devastated by ongoing conflict, with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, vast areas reduced to rubble, and a humanitarian crisis worsening daily.

Many social media users expressed outrage at the spectacle of a luxury resort fantasy amid such widespread destruction, calling it a grotesque trivialisation of real human suffering.

With elements that look like propaganda, such as the oversized Trump statue, the imagery reminded some users of historical instances of leaders using spectacle to justify controversial policies.

“This kind of thing, which is obviously nonsense, fits into a much longer campaign and effort to portray what is happening today in Gaza as a consequence of 7 October. It erases at least 60 years, if not 100 years, of the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and what came before”, explained Accorsi.

Palestinian leaders, as well as human rights organisations, have previously condemned the portrayal of Gaza as a blank slate for development while its population continues to endure hardship.

The UN has emphasised that forcibly relocating Palestinians from their land is illegal under international law.