The Trump administration has unveiled new images of its plans for a “new Gaza”, which include a data centre, luxury apartments and “coastal tourism”. Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, presented the images during a press conference for the Peace Council.
Images shown included skyscrapers, a data center, intimate coastal tourism, as well as plans to build more than 100,000 homes and 75 medical facilities.
Jared Kushner said: “People ask us what our plan B is. We don’t have a plan B, we have a plan. We signed an agreement. We are all committed to making this deal work.
There is a general plan. We will gradually implement it in the Middle East. There they build cities like this, for two, three million people. They build them in three years. So something like this is very possible if we make it happen.”
Kushner said he is observing “many people trying to escalate the situation. Just take it easy for 30 days. I believe the war is over, let’s do our best to work together, our goal here is peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.
Everyone wants to live in peace, everyone wants to live with dignity, let’s make efforts to promote those who work to achieve this”.
The presentation on New Gaza
Jared Kushner on Gaza’s reconstruction:
New Gaza could become a place of hope — even a destination — with strong industry and real opportunities for people to thrive and find meaningful employment.
Once this process is underway, we believe it can lead to full employment and…
— Clash Report (@clashreport)
What is the Trump administration’s master plan for “New Gaza”
The plan is structured around a six-phase development schedule starting in the south and moving north. Phase I focuses on Rafa and Khan Younis. Phase II includes the Khan Yunis expansion. Phase III targets the development of the central refugee camps, while Phase III focuses on the reconstruction of Gaza City.
A large stretch of coastline has been earmarked for coastal tourism, with plans to build 180 mixed-use towers. The interior of the Strip has been zoned for residential neighborhoods and industrial zones covering more than 25 square kilometers to accommodate data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities.
The infrastructure proposal includes a new port and airport, a three-way crossing at Rafah, a freight rail line with a logistics backport corridor, and a network of peripheral and central roads to connect Gaza’s urban centers.
The Peace Council estimates that more than $25 billion will be needed to develop modern utilities and public services. To support the new economy, $1.5 billion has been earmarked for vocational training and retraining programs. The aim is to create more than 500,000 new jobs in construction, agriculture, manufacturing and the digital sector.
An additional investment fund of $3 billion is earmarked for trade zones, business districts and micro-grants to stimulate local entrepreneurship.
He opens the Rafa passage
The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will reopen next week after being closed for most of the war between Hamas and Israel, Ali Saath, head of the technocratic committee that will temporarily govern the Palestinian enclave, announced today.
Saath made the announcement via video link during a ceremony in Davos, Switzerland to sign the charter of Donald Trump’s “Peace Council.”
“I am happy to announce that the Rafa crossing will open next week in both directions. For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than just a crossing. It is a lifeline and a symbol of opportunity,” Saath emphasized.
“The opening of Rafah means that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to the world,” he added.
Saath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister, heads the 15-member commission of technocrats that will temporarily govern Gaza under the supervision of the Peace Council, with the aim of “overseeing the restoration of basic public services, the rebuilding of political institutions and the stabilization of daily life.”
For now, Israel, which controls the Rafah crossing from 2024, has not commented on Saath’s statements.
