I
n a shocking revelation, Jared Kushner's billionaire property developer friend and son-in-law has been at the center of a high-stakes plan to transform the Gaza Strip into a luxury tourist destination. The ambitious project, dubbed "the deal of a lifetime," would involve relocating the Palestinian population temporarily out of the area, allowing for a massive redevelopment effort.

    Kushner's 11,000 sq ft headquarters in Miami Beach boasts floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, a testament to his own success as a real estate mogul. In an interview at Harvard University last February, Kushner mused that Gaza possessed "very valuable" waterfront property and could become a hub for tourism, much like Miami.

    However, this idea was not new even then. Trump had reportedly discussed similar plans with Netanyahu in late summer, suggesting the construction of hotels on the Gaza Strip. The US would take a "long-term ownership position" of the territory after relocating the Palestinian people, rebuilding it into a glitzy destination for tourists and locals alike.

    But what's behind this plan? Analysts point to Trump's own words and his choice of key Middle East advisers as evidence that months, if not years, of forethought have gone into this scheme. Steve Witkoff, a close family friend and billionaire property developer, has been instrumental in shaping the plan. Witkoff first met Trump in 1986 and was inspired to enter real estate himself after their encounter.

    Witkoff's experience with five-star real estate projects on sites hit by war is evident in his company's current ventures. Affinity Partners, Kushner's investment firm, has secured a 99-year-lease to develop the former Yugoslav army headquarters in Belgrade and is constructing luxury villas on the Albanian island of Sazan.

    However, critics argue that Gaza will prove more difficult ground for Trump and his band of property tycoons. The Biden administration's construction of a pier to deliver humanitarian aid off the coast cost $320 million, before it broke in a storm and took the life of a US army soldier on its way to the depths. Foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan have condemned the plans to resettle Gaza's two million-strong population.

    As Trump's plan gains attention, questions arise about his true intentions. Is this a genuine effort to transform Gaza or simply a distraction from more pressing issues? The president's history of dropping bombshell announcements only to later abandon them raises suspicions that this too may be a MacGuffin, intended to secure the passage of a normalisation deal with Israel and Saudi Arabia.

    One thing is certain: Trump's plan for Gaza will face significant challenges. The territory is plagued by unexploded munitions, crumbling buildings, and a lack of basic utilities. Witkoff himself described the devastation as "one hundredth" of what he saw in other cities in the USA, where residents would be barred from returning home due to safety concerns.

    As the world watches with bated breath, one thing is clear: Trump's vision for Gaza will not come easily. The question remains whether this is a genuine attempt at transformation or simply another chapter in the president's ongoing saga of grandiose real estate deals and diplomatic machinations.