The administration of United States President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing a controversial proposal to pay Palestinians up to $5,000 each if they agree to leave the Gaza Strip.
The plan, which has sparked global outrage, envisions transforming the territory into a tourism and technology hub, a move critics say violates international law and undermines the two-state solution.
According to a document obtained by the Washington Post, the initiative dubbed the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust (GREAT Trust)vwould offer cash payments, one year of food, and rent subsidies for four years to those who relocate.
The proposal is part of a wider postwar plan being discussed within top U.S. policy circles.
The 38-page document outlines options for Palestinians: relocate to another country under “voluntary” terms or move into secured zones inside Gaza while reconstruction takes place.
For each Palestinian who leaves, the trust expects to save about $23,000 compared to the cost of providing temporary housing and “life support” services inside Gaza.
The plan also includes bold redevelopment ideas. Gaza would be turned into a luxury tourism destination and a high-tech manufacturing hub.
Palestinians who own land would receive digital property tokens, which could be traded to finance resettlement abroad or redeemed for apartments in future “AI-powered smart cities” planned for Gaza.
President Trump has repeatedly referred to Gaza as “prime real estate.” Earlier this year, he said the enclave could become the “Riviera of the Middle East” under U.S. control.
He compared the initiative to a real estate project that would be slowly developed by America and its partners.
Financial modelling for the plan, the Washington Post reported, was carried out by consultants linked to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
However, BCG later distanced itself from the proposal, saying it was not officially sanctioned and confirming that the partners involved had been dismissed.
The trust, unlike existing humanitarian aid efforts, promises not to depend on donations.
Instead, it seeks $100 billion in public and private investment in large-scale projects such as EV factories, beach resorts, and data centers. Proponents project nearly a fourfold return on investment within a decade.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly discussed the possibility of relocating Gazans to countries including Libya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Indonesia, and Somaliland.
But rights groups and United Nations experts warn that such forced displacement could amount to war crimes under international law.
Despite widespread criticism from the EU, UN, and Arab nations, the Trump administration insists the plan will stabilize the region while delivering economic opportunities.
Yet many analysts see it as another attempt to block the creation of an independent Palestinian state, recognized already by dozens of countries worldwide.