Explained: What Is Jared Kushner’s Gaza Plan And Why Is It So Controversial?

Last Updated:January 22, 2026, 19:48 IST

The Gaza plan is the first major test case for Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, a new international body launched in Davos with backing from a limited group of countries.

The Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ is a proposed international transitional mechanism aimed at managing Gaza in the aftermath of prolonged conflict. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner laid out an ambitious real estate- led vision for post-war Gaza, placing large-scale redevelopment and tourism at the centre of a plan unveiled alongside Trump’s new ‘Board of Peace’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Presenting a detailed slide deck at the board’s launch, Kushner made clear that the initiative was committed to a single course of action.

“We don’t have a plan B," he said, arguing that cities in the Middle East can be rebuilt in “two or three years" if political and security obstacles are removed.

What Does Kushner’s Plan Propose For Gaza?

The presentation outlined a zone-wise redevelopment blueprint for Gaza, featuring residential districts, commercial centres, logistics corridors and large coastal stretches earmarked for mixed-use and leisure development. Visuals labelled “New Gaza" and “New Rafah" showed high-rise buildings along the Mediterranean, modern transport infrastructure and redesigned waterfronts. Though framed as reconstruction, the scale and design of the proposals resemble a comprehensive urban redevelopment project rather than a limited post-war rebuilding effort.

Is Tourism Central To Kushner’s Vision?

Kushner did not explicitly describe the plan as a tourism project. However, the emphasis on coastal development, hospitality infrastructure and waterfront design suggests that tourism is a core pillar of the proposed economic revival. That framing was reinforced by Trump himself, who in his closing remarks described Gaza as “this beautiful piece of property" and said his push for peace between Israel and Hamas “all began with the location." In earlier comments, even as Israeli military operations continued, Trump had spoken of Gaza as a potential site for a “resort-like city" along the Mediterranean coast.

How Does This Fit Into Trump’s ‘Board Of Peace’?

The Gaza plan is the first major test case for Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, a new international body launched in Davos with backing from a limited group of countries. While initially presented as a Gaza-specific reconstruction and governance effort, the board’s draft charter gives it a broader mandate to address conflicts elsewhere, raising concerns among critics about its scope and intent.

Why Is Kushner’s Plan Drawing Criticism?

Supporters argue that linking peace to investment, real estate development and tourism could provide Gaza with an economic reset after years of conflict. Critics counter that the approach risks reducing a devastated territory- where tens of thousands have been killed- to a blank slate for commercial redevelopment, while sidestepping questions of sovereignty, accountability and political rights.

News world Explained: What Is Jared Kushner’s Gaza Plan And Why Is It So Controversial?

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