The United States has laid out an extensive plan to reconstruct Gaza, envisioning a modern cityscape with high-rise towers, housing developments, and new infrastructure after years of devastating conflict.
The proposal was presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos during a ceremony for President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which is charged with ending hostilities between Israel and Hamas and guiding the territory’s rebuilding.
Visuals shared at the event depicted sprawling skyscrapers along the coast, new residential zones in Rafah, and a phased approach to developing industrial, agricultural, and recreational areas for Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
"We're going to be very successful in Gaza. It's going to be a great thing to watch," Trump said.
"I'm a real estate person at heart and it's all about location. And I said: 'Look at this location on the sea. Look at this beautiful piece of property. What it could be for so many people.'"
Jared Kushner, who helped negotiate the October ceasefire, highlighted the destruction Gaza has endured, noting that 90,000 tonnes of munitions had been dropped and 60 million tonnes of rubble need removal. He explained that initial proposals to divide Gaza into separate zones were replaced with a broader reconstruction plan.
"In the beginning, we were toying with the idea of saying: 'Let's build a free zone, and then we have a Hamas zone.' And then we said: 'You know what, let's just plan for catastrophic success'," Kushner said.
"Hamas signed a deal to demilitarise, that is what we are going to enforce. People ask us what our plan B is. We do not have a plan B."
The US blueprint marks zones for tourism, residential neighborhoods, industrial parks, data centres, manufacturing hubs, and recreational areas. Plans also include a seaport and airport near the Egyptian border, plus a trilateral crossing with Israel and Egypt.
Rebuilding is set to occur in four stages, beginning in Rafah and progressing north toward Gaza City. Maps released at the presentation show a buffer along the borders, marked as a security zone where Israeli forces will remain until the area is deemed stable.
"New Rafah" is planned to include more than 100,000 permanent homes, 200 educational centers, and 75 health facilities. Once home to 280,000 residents, Rafah has been largely destroyed and is under Israeli control. Kushner said completion could be achieved in two to three years.
"We've already started removing the rubble and doing some of the demolition. And then New Gaza. It could be a hope, it could be a destination, have a lot of industry."
He added that an upcoming conference in Washington will announce contributions from countries and highlight investment opportunities for the private sector.
Trump’s earlier proposal to relocate Gaza’s population to neighboring countries drew global criticism, with suggestions to turn the territory into "the Riviera of the Middle East."
Kushner stressed that the demilitarisation process is already underway. He said that without security, no private investment will follow, and added that the new Palestinian technocratic body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), will work with Hamas on implementing disarmament.
"They have to give up their weapons and if they don't do that, it's going to be the end of them," Trump warned, reiterating the need for Hamas to surrender the body of the last dead Israeli hostage.
Phase one of the peace plan has already seen a ceasefire, hostage exchanges, partial Israeli withdrawal, and increased delivery of humanitarian aid. Despite this, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports 477 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes over the past three months, while Israel says three of its soldiers died in attacks by Palestinian armed groups. Five Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire across Gaza on Thursday.
Humanitarian conditions remain dire, with nearly one million people lacking adequate shelter and 1.6 million facing high levels of food insecurity, according to the UN.
Hamas said it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement and accused Israel of undermining international efforts.
At Davos, Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Trump’s work but emphasized that the ultimate test would be Hamas leaving Gaza. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for full implementation of the plan, including Israeli withdrawal and a central role for the PA in Gaza’s governance.
Ali Shaath, head of the NCAG, announced the Rafah border crossing with Egypt would reopen next week. "Opening Rafah signals that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to the war," he said.
The current war began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s military retaliation has killed over 71,560 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
