The Washington Post (WP) has reported that within the Trump administration, there has been discussion about a plan to remove Palestinian residents from the war-torn Gaza Strip, allowing the U.S. to govern the area as a trust territory for over a decade to develop it into a tourist resort and industrial hub. WP obtained a 38-page document detailing a post-war Gaza management plan called the ‘GREAT Trust’ (Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration, and Transformation Trust).
According to the circulated plan, Israel, which occupies the Gaza Strip, would transfer “administrative authority and responsibility of Gaza” to the GREAT Trust under a U.S.-Israel bilateral agreement, after which a formal trusteeship would commence. This trusteeship is expected to last for many years, estimated at 10 years, until a “reformed and de-radicalized Palestinian political body” is ready to take over.
This plan aligns with President Trump’s February 4th proposal of a “Middle East Riviera,” where he suggested removing Palestinian residents from Gaza, having the U.S. “take over” the area, and rebuilding it into a world-class tourist destination.
The GREAT Trust plan, supported by the U.S. and Israel, was established by some of the same Israelis who set up the ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ (GHF), which excluded existing UN agencies and currently handles relief distribution in Gaza. The financing for this plan was managed by a team from Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
The plan stipulates that all 2 million residents of Gaza must “voluntarily” leave for other countries or live in confined areas within Gaza during the reconstruction. Palestinians owning land in Gaza would receive digital tokens in exchange for redevelopment rights to their land. These tokens could either fund a new life elsewhere or be exchanged for an apartment in one of 6-8 “AI-driven smart cities” planned in Gaza.
Palestinians choosing to leave Gaza would receive a cash payment of $5,000 and subsidies covering four years of rent and one year’s worth of food elsewhere. The GREAT Trust estimates that the more residents leave Gaza rather than stay in temporary facilities, the more it saves on providing temporary housing and support, estimated at $23,000 per person.
According to the WP, the most appealing aspect of the GREAT Trust plan is that it does not require funding from the U.S. government and is designed to offer significant benefits to investors. Unlike GHF’s controversial and often cash-strapped food distribution plan, this plan “does not rely on donations,” as noted in the document.
The project plans to fund “megaprojects” like electric vehicle factories, data centers, beach resorts, and skyscraper apartment complexes through both public and private investments, predicting an initial investment of $100 billion will almost quadruple after 10 years, with “self-generating” revenue streams.
The “world-class resort” on Gaza’s west coast would be named “Gaza Trump Riviera,” and may include an artificial island similar to those near Dubai. Earlier, in July, Reuters reported on plans to build large camps for residents both inside and outside Gaza under the guise of “Humanitarian Transit Areas.” The term “transit area” is often used to refer to refugee camps.
The White House and the State Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment from WP and Reuters.
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