Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” has unveiled a set of images showcasing the US President’s ambitious vision for a transformed Gaza post-conflict.
The photos, revealed today at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, depict a revitalized coastal strip in Gaza adorned with modern high-rise structures. Marketed as potential business centers, the proposed “New Gaza” and “New Rafah” aim to provide Gazans with employment opportunities, training, and essential services. However, these plans have faced strong criticism for being viewed as a strategy to exploit the region by developers and authoritarian figures.
These visuals have evoked uneasy recollections of the early AI-driven initiatives for Gaza under the Trump administration.
The presentation slides exhibit a vastly developed Gaza, featuring a network of transportation hubs, concentrically arranged neighborhoods with white homes, and promises of enhanced energy and digital infrastructure, coupled with significant investment prospects.
Addressing the WEF audience today, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and key investor, introduced a $25 billion (£18.5 billion) proposal aimed at transforming Gaza into a thriving economic center, projecting a potential Gaza GDP of $10 billion (£7.4 billion) by 2035.
The proposal envisions a significant portion of the Gaza coastline designated for tourism, featuring 180 mixed-use towers, while the interior of the Gaza Strip would host residential areas and industrial zones catering to data centers and manufacturing facilities.
Highlighted infrastructure plans this week include a port, an airport, a trilateral crossing at Rafah, and an extensive network of ring roads akin to American urban planning, connecting Gaza’s various communities.
These proposals have sparked widespread outrage, particularly among displaced Palestinians, who express concerns about the involvement of accused war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Israeli Defense Forces have been responsible for over 70,000 fatalities since October 7, 2023.
Among the critics is Manal al-Qouqa, a displaced Gazan mother, who lamented that every new announcement only exacerbates Palestinian suffering. Another displaced individual, Suhail al-Hanawi, attributed the woes to Netanyahu and Trump, accusing them of fueling global conflicts without providing concrete assurances of a brighter future.
Expressing skepticism, he stated, “There’s nothing tangible from the Board of Peace or anyone else that suggests our situation will improve or our suffering will diminish.”
A social media commentator suggested that the proposed plan is primarily aimed at exploiting Gaza’s natural resources, particularly its natural gas, leveraging its strategic location, and undermining the Palestinian cause by obstructing the right of return.
The Board of Peace comprises a controversial lineup of world leaders, including the increasingly unpopular Trump, who announced today that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin would also join the board, alongside representatives from nations like Belarus and Hungary in Europe, as well as regimes from the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia.
As Russian forces continue their aggressive actions against Ukraine, Trump disclosed Putin’s inclusion in the board, further adding representatives from authoritarian Belarus and Hungary in Europe, and oppressive Middle Eastern regimes like Saudi Arabia.