The Trump administration has presented Gulf states with a sweeping proposal to rebuild Gaza, envisioning up to six new residential regions on the eastern side of the Strip — the area currently under Israeli control behind the newly established Yellow Line. Two Arab diplomats briefed on the plan say US officials refer to the project as “New Gaza.”
Under the proposal, as many as one million Palestinians — nearly half the population — would relocate to these new areas, which the US wants built within two years, even if the IDF has not yet fully withdrawn. Many diplomats view the timeline as unrealistic.
The plan is linked to the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) responsible for postwar security and overseeing Hamas’s disarmament — a condition widely seen as improbable. Still, the US wants reconstruction to begin immediately, starting in Israeli-controlled Rafah.
Arab diplomats warn that expecting Palestinians to move into areas under Israeli control is “fantastical,” especially given the massive wartime death toll and distrust. Meanwhile, some nations have expressed willingness to contribute troops to an ISF only if there is a UN mandate or an agreement with Hamas.
The US aims to bring a UN Security Council resolution establishing the ISF as early as this month, ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s planned November 18 White House visit.
