Loft-style apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows, an offshore oil and gas rig, advanced industrial zones and park-lined neighborhoods: this is the “New Gaza” vision Jared Kushner presented as a plan for the Palestinian territory after two years of war.
Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, said during a Davos presentation that demolition and rubble removal had already begun and framed “New Gaza” as a chance to create industry, jobs and modern housing. The plan rests on Trump’s ceasefire deal, which conditions Israeli withdrawal on Hamas decommissioning its weapons in phases. Reconstruction would begin only in areas where Hamas is fully disarmed or where Palestinians have been moved and Israel has military control.
Context: Gaza before and after the war
– The Gaza Strip is about 25 miles long and 4–7 miles wide. Before the war it held roughly 2.2 million people living in densely packed cities and refugee camps. Now most people live in tents or damaged homes at risk of collapse.
– The World Bank estimated in 2024 that damage to Gaza’s critical infrastructure exceeded $18 billion.
– A 2024 U.N.-Habitat report described Gaza as overwhelmingly urban: about 87% urban area and nearly all the rest refugee camps.
Notably missing from Kushner’s presentation: no discussion of land deed transfers or how new housing would be allocated to Palestinians; no explanation of how families would be moved from existing buildings slated for demolition, especially in central and western Gaza City where many structures remain intact. Critics say the plan erases Gaza’s existing social and urban fabric and repackages the territory as an investment opportunity built on ruins that a U.N. commission has called the result of genocide — a finding Israel denies while facing international war crimes scrutiny.
Who’s involved
Kushner’s presentation names Israeli real estate investor Yakir Gabay as a key contributor. Both men sit on the White House-appointed Gaza Executive Board, which reports to Trump’s Board of Peace and would oversee reconstruction. It’s unclear whether Palestinians were consulted. A White House-appointed board spokesperson told NPR that the figures shown for the first reconstruction phase are “just the start.”
Five things to know about “New Gaza”
1. Less space for housing than before the war
Kushner’s plan divides Gaza into four district-like living areas surrounded by large green belts, parks and industrial zones that appear as large or larger than the housing areas. The plan projects industrial zones will create more than half a million jobs for Palestinians in Gaza. Given Gaza’s prewar urban density, this design leaves far less room for housing than existed before the war, implying a smaller resident population. U.N.-Habitat and other sources note Gaza already faced a critical housing shortage even before more than 90% of homes were destroyed or damaged in the conflict.
2. Reshaped cities — some effectively erased
The plan phases rebuilding from south to north, putting two areas labeled “Gaza City” in the final fourth phase. Residential areas would be divided into quadrants — Rafah, Khan Younis, Center Camps and Gaza City — separated by large green belts and linked by only a few main roads. Northern cities and refugee camps, including Beit Lahia and Jabalia, are shown replaced by agricultural land and zones for data centers and advanced manufacturing. Some existing neighborhoods and buildings would be razed and rebuilt. Critics and residents say this amounts to removing homes and community structures rather than allowing Palestinians to rebuild in place. “We only want one thing: Leave us to rebuild,” said Rami Abdel-Aal, a Gaza resident whose Rafah home was demolished.
3. An airport and port — but no independent land crossing
Kushner’s visuals include a southern airport, a train and logistics hub, and a port. Currently Gaza is under an Israeli blockade and people can exit only through land crossings controlled by Israel. The plan would move the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to the southern tip of Gaza and rebrand it a “trilateral crossing” touching Egypt and Israel. Egypt has not publicly endorsed this and has historically rejected Israeli control of Rafah.
4. “New Rafah” as the center of gravity
Rafah — Gaza’s southern border city, now nearly emptied and under Israeli military occupation — is cast as Gaza’s logistics and possibly administrative hub. The plan designates New Rafah as among the areas with the most housing, suggesting a southward population shift from northern Gaza. Kushner’s presentation cites more than 100,000 permanent housing units for New Rafah. By comparison, prewar Gaza had nearly 600,000 housing units for about 2.2 million people. The plan also promises roughly 200 educational centers in New Rafah, while before the war Gaza had about 700 schools and 17 higher-education institutions. Israeli officials told NPR that ground in Rafah is being readied — clearing unexploded ordnance and tunnels — to set up temporary housing and that Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff have urged acceleration of rubble clearance. The UAE is reported to fund a neighborhood planned to house thousands of civilians.
5. A coastline for tourists and investors
Kushner’s plan designates Gaza’s entire Mediterranean coastline for coastal tourism, with 180 “mixed use” towers and a futuristic skyline reminiscent of luxury development elsewhere in the region. Gaza’s prewar coastline included apartments, local hotels, cafes and public beaches — public spaces that provided rare outdoor relief in a densely packed territory. The new plan’s high-end coastal development would likely price many Palestinians out of these areas.
Responses and concerns
Critics interviewed in Gaza and analysts outside say the plan sidelines Palestinians’ rights to their land and homes and focuses on attracting investment. Some view it as erasing Gaza’s existing communities and reshaping the territory to strategic and commercial ends. International and regional actors, including Egypt, have not publicly accepted many elements of the plan. The proposal ties reconstruction to security conditions (Hamas disarmament) and to zones under Israeli control, raising questions about sovereignty, return, property rights and who will live where.
Contributors to reporting included journalists in Gaza, Cairo and Tel Aviv.