The US is considering the mass relocation of Gaza’s population and the takeover of the Strip for at least 10 years as part of a plan for postwar Gaza, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
The plan is modeled on the vision stated by the US President, Donald Trump, to transform the Gaza Strip into the “Riveria of the Middle East” – a plan firmly rejected by Arab countries, global leaders and rights groups.
Gaza Postwar Plan
According to a 38-page prospectus seen by the Post, the US will take over the Gaza Strip and run it for at least 10 years, after relocating the enclave’s 2 million population – at least temporarily – either through “voluntary” departures to another country or into restricted zones inside Gaza during reconstruction.
The plan, titled “Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust, or GREAT Trust,” envisions Gaza as a global investment hub, high-tech center, and a tourism resort. The plan was developed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – a controversial aid distribution model backed by the US and Israel.
Mass Displacement
Under the proposed plan, Palestinians who own land in Gaza will be offered a digital token by the Trust in return for the right to develop their property.
A digital token can be redeemed for either an apartment in a newly developed building or to start a new life outside Gaza. Recipients who chose to leave would receive $5,000 in cash and subsidies to cover 4 years of rent and one year of food, the Washington Post report noted.
In a separate report, Reuters pointed to a plan developed by the GHF for building large-scale camps, under the name “Humanitarian Transit Areas.” These camps would be located inside and outside Gaza to house the Palestinian population, it said.
Trump’s “Riviera of the Middle East”
In February, Trump unveiled a plan for postwar Gaza, suggesting that the US would take full control of the Strip and transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” after relocation its Palestinian population to neighboring countries. The proposal faced outrage from many Palestinians and humanitarian groups. It was also met with strong regional and global condemnation as a proposal for ethnic cleansing.
Moreover, Arab countries expressed their categorical rejection of the displacement of Gaza’s people, stressing their unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights to an independent state on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. They also warned that any plans to displace Palestinians from their lands would destabilize the region.
Transforming Gaza
According to the Post, the plan involves turning Gaza to a tourism resort and a manufacturing hub. It calls for the redevelopment of the coast into the “Gaza Trump Riviera,” which will likely include resorts and artificial islands. It also includes skyscrapers in six to eight “dynamic, modern and AI-powered smart planned cities.”
The plan, which makes no mention of Palestinian Statehood, envisions a $100 billion investment in large-scale projects, such as electric vehicle factories, resorts and data centers, which could generate a fourfold revenue over 10 years and create up to a million jobs.
Israel’s war on Gaza has so far claimed the lives of over 63,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health authorities. The Israeli military is also expanding its offensive to fully control the Strip, starting with Gaza City, amid spreading famine.
White House Meeting
On Wednesday, Trump chaired a meeting on postwar plans for Gaza at the White House. Attendees included the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff; former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair; and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Blair, who led Britain during the 2003 Iraq War, heads the Tony Blair Institute, which reportedly had some limited participation in the project. Meanwhile, Kushner, who served as the Middle East envoy during Trump’s first term, had floated a similar idea involving clearing Palestinians for waterfront development just last year.
