US Pitches ‘Project Sunrise’ to Rebuild Gaza as Luxury, High-Tech Coastal Hub

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Washington D.C.: The United States has pitched a sweeping proposal dubbed ‘Project Sunrise’ to rebuild war-ravaged Gaza into a high-tech, luxury coastal destination over the next two decades, according to a media report.

The plan, reportedly drafted over the past 45 days by a team led by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, would cost $112.1 billion over its first 10 years. Washington is expected to ‘anchor’ the initiative with an initial $60 billion commitment, while the remainder would be funded by donor nations and future self-generated revenues from Gaza, the report said, citing US officials.

The proposal is laid out in 32 PowerPoint slides, marked ‘sensitive but unclassified’, and has been shown to wealthy Gulf states, as well as Turkey and Egypt. It outlines a four-stage, 20-year roadmap aimed at clearing rubble, removing unexploded ordnance and Hamas tunnel infrastructure, rebuilding housing and public facilities, and ultimately transforming Gaza into a regional economic hub.

Reconstruction would begin in southern Gaza, including Rafah and Khan Younis, before moving to the central refugee camps and concluding in Gaza City, which the plan envisions as a technology-driven ‘smart city.’ One slide reportedly labels ‘New Rafah’ as the future seat of governance for the Strip, featuring more than 100,000 housing units, over 200 schools, 75 medical facilities, and 180 mosques and cultural centres.

After essential infrastructure is rebuilt, the proposal anticipates the development of luxury penthouse residences, a ‘glitzy riviera,’ and high-tech rail transport along the coastline. By the tenth year, the plan projects that 70 percent of Gaza’s coastline would be monetized, potentially generating more than $55 billion in long-term investment returns.

A central condition of the proposal requires Hamas to fully demilitarise and decommission all weapons and tunnels, a demand the group has so far rejected. Both Israel and the United States have repeatedly insisted that Hamas must disarm before any large-scale rehabilitation of Gaza can proceed.

The plan has drawn mixed reactions within US policy circles. Some officials are skeptical that Hamas would relinquish its weapons or that donor nations would commit the necessary funding. Others, however, have described it as the ‘most detailed and optimistic’ blueprint yet for Gaza’s post-war future, according to the Journal.

“The Trump Administration will continue to work diligently with our partners to sustain a lasting peace and lay the groundwork for a peaceful and prosperous Gaza,” a White House spokesperson said.

The report comes as Witkoff was scheduled to meet Friday in Miami with senior officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to discuss phase two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Those countries reportedly believe both Israel and Hamas are delaying implementation of the next phase, which calls for an Israeli military withdrawal, the establishment of an interim governing authority in Gaza, and the deployment of an international stabilisation force.

The second phase, particularly the requirement for Hamas to lay down its weapons, remains a major sticking point, while a third phase would focus on the full reconstruction of Gaza following the devastation caused by the war that erupted after Hamas’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel.