'Project Sunrise' Plan
WSJ Reports on Draft Proposal
Long-Term Initiative Spanning Over 20 Years
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on December 19 (local time) that the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump had drafted a plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and presented it to foreign governments and investors, including wealthy Middle Eastern countries.
According to the WSJ, a team led by Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and two White House aides prepared a draft of the "Project Sunrise" plan, aiming to transform the Gaza Strip into a modern metropolis.
The 32-page PowerPoint presentation outlines a long-term plan spanning more than 20 years. According to the plan, the first steps would be to remove destroyed buildings, unexploded ordnance, and underground tunnels constructed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. This would be followed by the construction of housing, medical facilities, schools, and religious institutions. Subsequent phases include paving roads and connecting power grids, ultimately pursuing long-term goals such as developing luxury beachfront real estate and advanced transportation hubs.
The project is expected to cost a total of $112.1 billion (about 166 trillion won) over ten years. The United States intends to play a key role by providing more than 20% of the funding-about $60 billion-through grants and loan guarantees. The plan anticipates that the Gaza Strip will eventually be able to raise much of the project funding on its own and that the local economy will grow enough to repay the debt. However, the proposal does not specify which countries or companies will bear the reconstruction costs, nor does it detail where the nearly two million residents will live during the reconstruction period.
The proposal also points out that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip depends on the complete disarmament of the militant group Hamas. If security conditions permit, the Trump administration suggested that the plan could be implemented in as little as two months.
According to U.S. government officials, the materials have already been presented to potential donor countries, including wealthy Middle Eastern nations, as well as Turkey and Egypt.
President Trump previously announced the Gaza reconstruction plan to reporters after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February. He stated that his plan "would create thousands of jobs and would be something the entire Middle East could be very proud of." He argued that developing the Gaza Strip "could make it the Riviera of the Middle East."
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