US pitches ‘Project Sunrise’ to rebuild Gaza as high-tech coastal metropolis
Tehran - BORNA - The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported on Friday that the 32-page PowerPoint presentation, labeled “sensitive but unclassified,” was developed by a team led by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as well as his West Asia envoy Steve Witkoff.
It envisions turning Gaza’s destruction into a “Riviera” of West Asia, complete with luxury beachfront resorts, high-speed rail, AI-optimized smart grids, and modern transportation hubs.
US officials said the slides have been shared with potential donor countries, such as affluent Persian Gulf nations, Turkey, and Egypt.
The proposal does not specify which governments or companies would finance the venture, nor does it address the living arrangements for the approximately two million displaced Palestinians during the reconstruction phase.
The plan lays out a roadmap spanning over 20 years, beginning with extensive humanitarian relief and debris removal, followed by a phased rebuilding process that will move from southern Gaza up toward the north.
The initial phase would focus on Rafah and Khan Younis, before expanding to central areas and, ultimately, Gaza City. One slide, titled “New Rafah,” portrays this city as the future administrative hub of Gaza, accommodating over 500,000 residents with over 100,000 housing units, more than 200 schools, at least 75 medical facilities, and 180 mosques and cultural centers.
The total cost for the initiative is estimated at $112.1 billion over ten years, encompassing public sector wages. Nearly $60 billion is expected to come from grants and new debt, with the US proposing to “anchor” at least 20 percent of the funding. The World Bank is also expected to be involved in financing.
The proposal anticipates a reduction in costs during the second decade, with plans to monetize about 70 percent of Gaza’s coastline beginning in year ten, potentially generating $55 billion in long-term returns.
A critical condition outlined in the document is that the reconstruction of Gaza relies on the demilitarization of the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas.
US officials noted that “if security conditions allow, the plan could be initiated within two months.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also emphasized the need for prolonged stability to attract investment, saying, "You are not going to convince anyone to invest money in Gaza if they believe another war is going to happen in two, three years."
He also expressed confidence that long-term support from donors could be secured.
This comes as numerous US officials have expressed doubts about whether wealthy countries would back such an ambitious initiative in a precarious postwar landscape.
In early February, Trump said the US sought to "take over" Gaza and expel its Palestinian population to turn the devastated territory into the "Riviera” of the West Asia region.
The proposal has invited an incessant torrent of condemnation worldwide as an open endorsement of ethnic cleansing.
The Israeli regime, however, has endorsed Trump's proposal for Gaza, where its relentless attacks since October 2023 have killed 70,925 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured at least 171,185 people.
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