'We will rebuild our restaurants,' - Palestinians in Gaza respond to Trump's Gaza deportation order

In the ruins of the Israeli army’s protracted campaign, Palestinians in Gaza have stuck to their vision of a home built according to their will. Rejecting a divisive proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump to turn Gaza into an upscale resort city controlled by Americans, residents of the seaside town assert that the coastal city is theirs, and theirs alone.

Despite the devastation, Gaza’s once-vibrant Mediterranean tourism sector, which survived for years under blockade and conflict, is ready for a strong revival. Assad Abu Haseira, a local restaurant owner, is one of those who refuses to accept foreign interference in the future of Gaza. Standing among the rubble of his business, he promised to reopen even before reconstruction is done.

Palestinians in Gaza not willing to leave their historical land

“There is nothing that cannot be repaired,” he declared. “They destroyed our restaurants, but we will rebuild them. Gaza’s history is Arab, and no foreign power will rewrite it.”

Resilience extends to the seafront, where entrepreneurs are already mapping out plans for the revival of their businesses. Mohammed Abu Haseira, another restaurateur, wondered why the city needs to be rebuilt.

“They are destroying us, but they will not defeat us,” said Mohammed Abu Haseira, a restaurateur.

Why tear down what was already there, just to build something under someone else’s vision?” he asked. “Our businesses flourished despite these challenges, and they will thrive again-on our terms.

Before the latest bout of destruction, Gaza’s beaches were lined with restaurants and cafés that were a testament to the resilience in adversity. Even after Hamas gained control of the territory in 2007, the Mediterranean shore had remained at the heart of local life – offering a rare respite to the residents amidst the blockade.

Trump’s plan, which eerily mirrors a previous plan by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been condemned around the world. Critics argue that any effort to displace Gaza’s population and redevelop the land under foreign control would be ethnic cleansing and a brazen violation of international law.

For Palestinians, these proposals evoke memories of the Nakba—the “catastrophe” of 1948, when the establishment of Israel dislodged 700,000 Palestinians. Giving up their homeland is out of the question.

“We will not leave,” declared Assad Abu Haseira. “Our land, our sea, and our history are not for sale.

As the dust settles, one message is clear: Gaza will rise again—not as an artificial paradise for foreign investors, but as a testament to Palestinian resilience and sovereignty.