President Donald Trump met with his top advisers and former UK leader Tony Blair to discuss implementing a proposal to remove the Palestinians from Gaza, then develop several cities, including a massive resort area dubbed the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
The Washington Post first reported on Sunday that Trump met with Blair, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, about the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust (GREAT Trust).
The GREAT Trust would see the Palestinians paid to leave Gaza, then rebuilding the Strip into several sectors, including an electric vehicle hub and a tourist area. The tourist sector will span Gaza’s coastline and is called the “Riviera of the Middle East,” referring to a suggestion Trump made during his first meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
GREAT Trust was developed by the Israelis who created the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and financial work was completed by a team at Boston Consulting Group. BCG says two senior partners designed the proposal without consulting with the firm and were fired.
The GHF, which was established to distribute food in Gaza, is largely considered a failure and has been condemned as a tool of Israel’s ongoing genocide. Contractors who worked for the GHF have denounced the agency for failing to distribute food and contributing to Israel’s killing of civilians.
Palestinian landowners will be offered a digital token for their land. While there will be a promise that Palestinians can eventually redeem the token in exchange for an apartment in one of the “AI-powered smart cities” to be built in Gaza, it remains unclear when these structures will be constructed. Palestinians who remain in Gaza will be forced into secure zones.
The GREAT Trust proposal pushes Palestinians to leave the Strip with promises of a $5,000 payment, food for a year, and a stipend for four years’ rent.
The rebuilding of Gaza and relocation of Palestinians would be paid for by the GREAT Trust. The trust will get its initial funding by seizing 30% of Gaza that is publicly owned. Washington will hold the trusteeship for the first ten years.
The proposal will likely meet stiff resistance from Israelis, Palestinians, and the international community. The plan would oversee the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, which is a violation of international laws. Palestinians want to remain in Gaza and maintain control of their homeland.
Many Israeli leaders have rejected any solution to Gaza that does not maintain Tel Aviv’s control over the Strip.
