Key facts
- Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' has reportedly scaled back its Gaza recovery plan to a temporary camp of portable cabins.
- The pilot scheme will be located in the buffer zone near Rafah and overseen by an international security force and Palestinian police.
- No construction has begun, and the ISF requires months of training and a legal framework for its presence.
- Funding for the project is uncertain, with little of the pledged $17bn materializing.
- The plan's future may be influenced by the upcoming Israeli election.
Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' has significantly scaled back its ambitious Gaza recovery plan, shifting from an envisioned 'Gaza Riviera' to a temporary camp of portable cabins. The pilot scheme, intended to be located in the buffer zone near Rafah, will be administered by Palestinian police and a small international security force, according to a Guardian investigation.
This revised plan reflects a stark departure from the 'free market Gaza' vision presented by Jared Kushner in January, which promised basic infrastructure within 100 days. No construction has commenced, and the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), a UN-mandated multinational peacekeeping force, faces months of training in Egypt and ongoing negotiations with the Israeli government for a legal framework.
The pilot scheme was reportedly devised two weeks prior in Cyprus by members of the Board of Peace, the Trump administration, the Tony Blair Institute, and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. However, funding remains a significant hurdle, with little of the $17bn pledged for Trump's peace plan materializing. The Board of Peace is reportedly seeking access to Palestinian tax revenue and frozen Israeli assets, a move that has drawn criticism from the Palestinian Authority.
Construction may be further delayed until after the Israeli election on October 27, which could see a change in the government. Meanwhile, discussions regarding the disarmament of Hamas are ongoing, though reports suggest it is unlikely while Israel continues air strikes on Gaza. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is reportedly divided over the pilot scheme, concerned it could be divisive among the Palestinian population and impact aid distribution.