Kushner's Vision for Gaza Reconstruction Between "Real Estate Dreams" and the Reality of Rubble

Kushner's vision contradicts UN estimates, as the Office for Project Services confirms that Gaza contains 60 million tons of rubble.

Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and advisor, presented an architectural and technical vision for the future of the Gaza Strip during his participation in the Davos Forum, where he painted a picture of a modern city including smart cities and tourist areas on the Mediterranean coast. Despite these visions, which some experts described as "fanciful," the complex reality on the ground, the spread of rubble, and the presence of occupation forces, pose serious obstacles to the implementation of such projects, which require enormous temporal and financial megaprojects.

Kushner claimed in his speech that it is possible to rebuild Gaza quickly if security is provided, proposing the construction of modern roads and a new airport to replace the airport destroyed by the occupation two decades ago, in addition to a developed port.

The plan includes eight residential areas interspersed with parks and sports facilities, with the coastal strip designated for tourism, where Palestinians currently live in fragile tents. He also highlighted the sectors of "advanced manufacturing" and "data centers," noting that construction would begin in Rafah to secure housing for workers, before moving on to build what he called "New Gaza."

Kushner's vision contradicts UN estimates, as the Office for Project Services confirms that Gaza contains 60 million tons of rubble that will take more than seven years to remove, without accounting for the complexities of dismantling unexploded ordnance spread everywhere.

Experts pointed out that Kushner avoided clarifying how to deal with mine clearance or housing for residents during the construction period, especially since the cost of reconstruction is estimated at about 70 million dollars according to joint estimates by the World Bank and the European Union.

The success of Kushner's plan is linked to the condition of achieving security, as the "Peace Council" works with the occupation to de-escalate and focus on disarming Hamas. An American-backed Palestinian committee is supposed to oversee this process, with the integration of rival armed groups into a national alliance.

Despite this, these visions remain subject to rejection by the occupation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, while analysts believe that high-rise building projects will not be accepted by the occupation authorities for security reasons, as they would expose border military bases.

For their part, Hamas officials affirm their right to resist the occupation, despite expressing willingness to consider "freezing" weapons within the framework of establishing a state.