From War Zone to Riviera? Inside Trump’s Bold Gaza Rebuild Plan

The Trump administration is quietly promoting a sweeping plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip into what it describes as a future coastal economic hub, according to a report published Friday night by The Wall Street Journal.

Dubbed “Project Sunrise,” the proposal envisions transforming Gaza into a major development zone over the next decade, at an estimated cost of $112.1 billion. According to the report, the plan was drafted in the form of a 32-slide PowerPoint presentation labeled “sensitive but unclassified” and was prepared over a 45-day period by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and senior White House aide Josh Gruenbaum.

The presentation has already been shown to officials from Turkey and Egypt, as well as to several investors and wealthy Gulf states, the Journal reported. It outlines a reconstruction effort in which the United States would contribute roughly $60 billion in grants, with the expectation that Gaza would eventually generate enough economic activity to help finance later stages of development on its own.

However, the report notes that key elements remain undefined. The proposal does not specify which countries or private companies would fund the remaining tens of billions of dollars, nor does it address where Gaza’s population would live during the reconstruction process. These gaps have led some US officials to privately express skepticism, particularly given concerns that Hamas would refuse to disarm, a prerequisite many see as essential for any large-scale rebuilding effort.

According to officials cited by the Journal, the financial projections are intended to be flexible, with cost estimates to be revised every two years if the project moves forward. Kushner and Witkoff reportedly discussed Gaza-related plans earlier with Egyptian, Turkish, and Qatari officials during meetings in Miami, before formally presenting the proposal.

The report comes nearly a year after Trump publicly floated the idea of a long-term US takeover of Gaza. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the time, Trump said American control would allow for massive economic development, promising jobs, housing, and growth. He later described his vision for Gaza as turning it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Supporters of Project Sunrise told the Journal that leaving Gaza in its current state is a worse alternative, arguing that large-scale redevelopment is the only viable path forward despite the political, security, and humanitarian obstacles involved.