Since taking office, President Donald Trump has publicly discussed his plans for the redevelopment of Gaza. One of these projects involves redeveloping the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, which would stimulate the economy of the region but also result in the displacement of millions of Gazans to other countries. Trump’s plan faced strong opposition from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, in addition to the international community, who viewed it as a forced transfer of population, going against universal human rights and international law.
President Trump’s intentions in Gaza are based on Professor Joseph Pelzman’s paper “An economic plan for rebuilding Gaza: A BOT approach”. The paper was originally drafted as a plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip following the end of the war. However, given the current state of destruction in Gaza, Professor Pelzman does not believe that the plan outlined in his paper is achievable. Pelzman states that destruction in Gaza is so extensive that it is far beyond repair, with the only solution being to destroy all that is left and start a simultaneous social and infrastructure reconstruction.
On February 4, during a press conference in the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed support for specific aspects of Trump’s plan for Gaza, agreeing with the American President’s idea that the displacement of more than two million Gazans is necessary to achieve the redevelopment of the Strip. On this matter, Trump has openly shared the belief that Gazans should not only relocate during the reconstruction of their territory, but also consider making the move permanent. This suggestion has alarmed the international community given the fact that the integrity of Gaza as a Palestinian territory could be compromised.
Such a menace gave the United Nations’ (UN) officials a new issue to discuss. This group of experts in international affairs have declared that President Trump’s plan is not only illegal and a clear violation of human rights, as it is considered an act of “ethnic cleansing”, but also a threat to the current international order. If Trump forcibly deports Gazans from their territory, he would violate provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the International Criminal Court. These actions could then constitute an international crime which Trump could be sanctioned for. Moreover, the forced displacement and the possible detachment of the Gaza Strip from Palestinian territory would further contribute to an international crime due to the violation of the principle of “territorial integrity”.
Other Israeli government officials have raised their concerns over the issue, including Minister of Defense Israel Katz, who believes that reallocation of Gazans should be made to European countries such as Spain, Ireland or Norway – states that condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. On this point, the Foreign Ministers of these European countries agree that the solution does not lie in the export of Gazans to other states but in the reconstruction of their territory with the necessary aid.
Trump’s plan to convert the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East” might be supported by Israel and other neighbouring countries that receive monetary aid from the United States, but the global community and international organizations, such as the UN, are strongly opposed to this idea. With phases two and three of the ceasefire deal yet to be agreed upon, the future of the Gaza Strip remains a significant uncertainty in the international arena. The ultimate hope is for the safe return of all Gazans to their homes and the guarantee of their security.
