The United States has unveiled an ambitious and controversial plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip from the ground up, presenting a vision of a futuristic “New Gaza” dominated by skyscrapers, tourism zones and industrial hubs along the Mediterranean coast.
The proposal was revealed at the World Economic Forum during the launch of U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly created “Board of Peace,” tasked with overseeing the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and leading Gaza’s reconstruction.
Visuals shown at the ceremony outlined a phased master plan featuring coastal tourism districts with high-rise towers, large residential neighbourhoods, industrial and data centres, parks, and agricultural zones for Gaza’s 2.1 million residents. A new seaport and airport near the Egyptian border and a trilateral crossing point linking Egypt, Israel and Gaza were also included.
Calling Gaza’s coastline “a beautiful piece of property,” Trump framed the project in real-estate terms, saying the redevelopment would be “a great thing to watch.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who helped broker the ceasefire that took effect in October, took part in the presentation.
Kushner said roughly 90,000 tonnes of munitions had been dropped on Gaza during the war, leaving an estimated 60 million tonnes of rubble. He said construction of a rebuilt “New Rafah” could be completed within two to three years and argued that demilitarisation was already under way, warning Hamas that failure to give up its weapons would end any future for the group.
The plan reserves a security buffer along Gaza’s borders where Israeli forces would remain until the territory is deemed secure. While U.S. officials pitched the project as a symbol of “catastrophic success,” humanitarian agencies note that conditions on the ground remain dire, with widespread destruction, acute food insecurity and nearly one million people lacking adequate shelter.
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions. Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Trump’s leadership but stressed that Hamas must leave Gaza. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for full implementation of the peace plan and a central role for the PA in governing Gaza, while Hamas reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire but accused Israel of undermining it.
The war began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military campaign devastated Gaza, and despite the ceasefire, sporadic violence and humanitarian suffering continue as international debate intensifies over whether Trump’s “New Gaza” vision represents hope, hubris, or both.