DayofPal—Human rights advocates and legal experts have raised serious concerns over a redevelopment plan for Gaza unveiled by US envoy Jared Kushner, warning that it could amount to forced displacement, unlawful annexation and economic exploitation under international law.
Presented in Davos during the launch of former US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” the plan envisions reshaping Gaza into a US-style free-market zone, featuring coastal high-rise towers, business districts, data centres and tourism hubs.
Kushner estimated the project would require at least $25bn and would be rolled out in six phases, beginning in southern Gaza and moving north.
Critics say the proposal ignores fundamental legal and humanitarian realities, including Israel’s ongoing military control, mass displacement of Palestinians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Palestinian and international observers reveal that large-scale redevelopment without Palestinian consent, coupled with plans for demilitarization and Israeli security control, could violate prohibitions on forcible transfer and collective punishment under international humanitarian law.
The plan also conditions reconstruction on the disarmament of Hamas and proposes amnesty or “safe passage” for fighters, alongside their possible integration into a new security force.
Kushner said Israeli troops would withdraw only to a security perimeter after demilitarization, a provision lawyers say could entrench long-term external control over the territory.
Palestinian-American author Susan Abulhawa described the project as an attempt to erase Gaza’s indigenous character and transform its population into a cheap labour force servicing industrial and tourism zones.
Legal experts warn that converting devastated areas into commercial districts while excluding displaced residents could amount to unlawful appropriation of land.
The proposal has also drawn criticism for excluding Palestinians from the leadership of Trump’s “Board of Peace,” which would require countries to pay $1bn for permanent membership.
Several states, including Norway and France, have declined or expressed reservations about joining the initiative.
As scrutiny grows, rights groups are calling for international investigations into whether the plan constitutes economic crimes linked to occupation, population transfer and the denial of Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
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