The 38-page plan circulating in the Trump administration outlines the trust of U.S. operations in Gaza after the war, suggesting that the devastated enclaves be transformed into a hub of luxury resorts and technology industries, eradicating millions of Palestinians in the process.
The proposals obtained by the Washington Post are being criticized as a continuation of Israel’s decades-long forfeiture projects.
Known as Gaza’s reconstruction, economic acceleration and transformation (large) trust, the plan envisages the relocation of Gaza’s entire population of over 2 million people. The 10-year reconstruction phase suggests “voluntary” departures or confinement abroad to “secure a zone” within Gaza. Those who agree to retire will receive $5,000 in cash payments, four years of rent, and one year of food, and redeem Digital Land’s “tokens” for a new “AI-powered Smart City” apartment. Developed with opinions from Israeli businessmen and US consultants, the trust predicts that investors could quadruple their $100 billion shares within a decade.
President Donald Trump has spoken openly about “taking over” Gaza, calling it the main site of the “Middle Eastern Riviera.” Amplified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his vision ignores the rights of Palestinians who have treated the ruins of Gaza as a major property and endured nearly two years of artillery and siege.
Since October 2023, Israel’s Gaza War has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and expelled hundreds of thousands of people. According to humanitarian monitors, almost half a million people are facing catastrophic hunger. The United Nations estimates that 90% of the homes have been destroyed. International law experts characterize Israel’s campaigns as collective punishment associated with genocide.
The Trump plan does not provide a path to Palestinian sovereignty. Instead, it places control over foreign councils supported by private security contractors and Western investors. Rutgers law professor Professor Adil Hak told the Post it is illegal for Palestinians to deny the right to return regardless of financial incentives. For Palestinians, the scheme recalls the 1948 Nakba, when over 700,000 people were expelled during Israel’s creation, and the 1967 war when Israel occupied Gaza and occupy the West Bank in rejecting international law.
Palestinians repeatedly rejected suggestions and pressures to migrate to other countries, insisting that they remain in their ancestors’ homelands. The resistance movements of Gaza and its allies argue that only the ongoing struggle can protect the Palestine presence against the elimination project, decorated as a reconstruction.
Critics warn that far from providing peace, Trump’s plans exemplify colonial blueprints. They strip their land to the people, entrust their suffering, and sell their homeland to the highest bidder.