The Trump administration is reportedly considering offering Palestinians a cash payment of $5,000 in exchange for relocating out of the Gaza Strip to make way for a proposed tourism and technology hub, a move condemned by many other countries and rights groups as a violation of the rights of Palestinians and an obstruction of the two-state solution adopted by the United Nations to solve the Israel-Palestine crisis.
A proposed postwar plan, circulated among top US officials, contains the administration’s vision to, at least, temporarily relocate the entire Gaza population, either through “voluntary” relocation to another country or into restricted, secured zones inside the Gaza enclave during reconstruction.
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The document obtained by the Washington Post revealed that the administration intends to make cash payments to Palestinians who choose to leave, as well as a year of food and subsidies to cover four years of rent.
The Washington Post reported, on Sunday, that the proposal is called the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust (GREAT Trust).
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It was created by the same group of Israelis who set up the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is now controversially distributing food inside the enclave.
The plan estimates that each person who leaves Gaza would save the trust $23,000, compared to the cost of temporary housing and “life support” services for those who remain in the secure zones.
It expects to save a trust of $23,000 on every individual relocation compared to the cost of temporary housing and “life support” services in the area.
The Washington Post reported that the 38-page document includes a plan to turn Gaza into a tourism resort and high-tech manufacturing and technology hub.
The trust would offer Palestinians who own land a digital token in exchange for rights to redevelop their property.
This token, according to The Washington Post, will be used to finance a new life elsewhere or eventually be redeemed for an apartment in one of six to eight new “AI-powered, smart cities” to be built in Gaza.
Financial plan for Gaza
President Donald Trump had initially proposed that the US would take over the densely populated territory on the eastern Mediterranean coast in February.
He had very swiftly, upon entering office, switched his rhetoric from quickly ending the war to taking over Gaza.
Although his stance has been criticised by world leaders and institutions, including the EU, UN and Arab countries, the US president insisted that Palestinians would be resettled in neighbouring countries.
According to him, the US intends to transform the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
“Think of it as a big real estate site, and the United States is going to own it and will slowly, very slowly, develop it,” he said.
The Washington Post reported the key elements of the GREAT Trust proposal are designed to bring to life the president’s vision of a “Riviera of the Middle East.”
It is, however, unclear if the details of the proposal are what Trump has in mind.
The proposal also promises to operate without government funding while offering substantial returns to investors.
Unlike the GHF, the proposed trust “does not rely on donations.”
“Instead, it would be financed by public and private-sector investment in what it calls “mega-projects,” from electric vehicle plants and data centres to beach resorts and high-rise apartments,” the report read.
The financial planning for the project was carried out by a team that was then working for Boston Consulting Group, one of the world’s leading management consulting firms.
The proposal projected that a $100 billion investment could yield nearly a fourfold return within a decade.
It noted that the project will be ongoing, with “self-generating” revenue streams.
The Washington Post also reported that BCG distanced itself from the Gaza trust proposal, stating the work was never formally approved by the firm.
It stated that the company confirmed that two senior partners who led the financial modelling for the plan have since been dismissed.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier stated that he has been in talks with several developing countries regarding the potential acceptance of relocated Gazans.
He listed potential destinations as Libya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Indonesia, and Somaliland.
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Such forced displacement as proposed by Messrs Trump and Netanyahu violate international humanitarian laws and may constitute war crimes, UN experts had said.
Gaza, alongside the occupied West Bank, and parts of Jerusalem are internationally recognised as part of Palestine and are expected to be part of a future Paelstine country. Although most countries of the world including European countries like Norway and Spain, already recognise Palestine as a state, the US and Israel continue to frustrate global efforts to allow the Palestinians have their own country.
The new proposal by the Trump administration is believed to be a continuation of the efforts of the US government to frustrate the creation of a Palestinian state.
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