President Donald Trump announced a controversial plan for the U.S. to "take over" the Gaza Strip after the war, envisioning it as a "Riviera of the Middle East" while relocating Palestinians elsewhere. Professor Vakil described Trump's statements as "provocative," possibly aimed at reshaping conventional thinking on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She suggested Trump may also be using this as a bargaining tool to strengthen Netanyahu's political position and facilitate Israeli-Saudi normalization talks.