GAZA CITY — Hamas on Monday condemned a reported U.S. proposal that would see Washington take control of the Gaza Strip under a long-term trusteeship, dismissing the idea as an affront to Palestinian sovereignty, reported by Arab News.
According to The Washington Post, the White House is reviewing a plan envisioning Gaza, home to nearly two million people, administered by the United States for at least a decade. The initiative, outlined in a 38-page prospectus, imagines the shattered enclave reborn as a tourism destination and high-tech hub. But the proposal also suggests relocating Gaza’s entire population—either through “voluntary” departures abroad or confinement in restricted, secured zones within the territory.
Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas political bureau member, was unequivocal in his response: “Gaza is not for sale. Gaza is part of the greater Palestinian homeland.” Another official, speaking anonymously, dismissed the plan as “worthless and unjust,” adding that no formal details had been communicated to the group.
Former President Donald Trump, who first floated the idea in February, described his vision as transforming Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” once emptied of its residents and placed under American control. The notion has triggered outrage across the Arab world, where many recall the Nakba—the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948 during the creation of Israel.
The Post reported that displaced residents would be issued digital tokens through a body called the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust—GREAT Trust—redeemable either abroad or for future housing in planned “AI-powered, smart cities” within Gaza. The U.S. State Department has not commented on the report.
Reactions on the ground in Gaza reflected both anger and fatigue. “If they want to help Gaza, the way is known: pressure Netanyahu to stop the war and the killing,” said Qasem Habib, 37, who has been sheltering in a tent in Gaza City.
Wael Azzam, 60, dismissed the proposal outright: “We were born and raised here. Would the U.S. president accept being displaced from his own home?”
Yet some, weary after nearly two years of relentless conflict, voiced a desperate pragmatism. “The plan is excellent if the war stops and we are transferred to European countries to live a normal life,” said 30-year-old Ahmed Al-Akkawi. “But only if guarantees are made to rebuild Gaza.”
