Gaza Is Not For Sale: Hamas Rejects Controversial US Trusteeship Plan
In a forceful rebuke of a reported American proposal, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has denounced a plan under consideration by the administration of US President Donald Trump that would see the United States take control of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and relocate its population. The rejection underscores the profound complexities and deep-seated resistance facing any post-war vision for the territory that does not center Palestinian self-determination.
A Vision for a “Riviera” or a Recipe for Displacement?
Almost two years since Israel launched its devastating military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks, the Palestinian enclave lies in ruins. Swathes of the territory have been reduced to rubble, and the vast majority of its 2.3 million residents have been displaced, many multiple times, amidst a severe humanitarian crisis.
According to a detailed report from The Washington Post on Sunday, the White House is weighing a radical plan that would place Gaza under a United States-administered trusteeship for a period of at least ten years. This initiative, outlined in a 38-page prospectus, envisions a complete transformation of the battered coastal strip into a tourism destination and a hub for high-tech industry.
Perhaps the most contentious element of the proposal is its call for the temporary, and reportedly “voluntary,” relocation of Gaza’s entire population. This would be achieved either by moving residents to other countries or into confined, heavily secured zones within the territory itself.
Hamas: “Gaza is Part of the Greater Palestinian Homeland”
The response from Hamas was swift and unequivocal. Bassem Naim, a member of the group’s political bureau, slammed the proposal on Monday, asserting a simple, powerful truth: “Gaza is not for sale.”
“Gaza is… part of the greater Palestinian homeland,” Naim added, framing the territory as an inseparable part of a future Palestinian state. This sentiment echoes a core tenet of Palestinian national identity, for whom the land is non-negotiable.
Another Hamas official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, reinforced this position, stating the group “rejects all these plans that abandon our people and keep the occupier on our land.” The official dismissed such proposals as “worthless and unjust” and clarified that no details of the initiative had been formally communicated to Hamas leadership.
Echoes of the Nakba and Arab Condemnation
This is not the first time such an idea has been floated. President Trump himself initially proposed the concept in February, suggesting Gaza could become “the Riviera of the Middle East” once its Palestinian residents were moved out and the territory was placed under American control.
The notion drew immediate and widespread condemnation across the Arab world. For Palestinians, any plan that involves forced or coerced displacement from their land is inextricably linked to the “Nakba,” or catastrophe—the mass exodus and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the war surrounding the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The Nakba remains a foundational and traumatic event in Palestinian collective memory, making any talk of population transfer politically toxic and emotionally charged.
The GREAT Trust and a Digital Token System
The Washington Post report detailed the mechanics of the proposed plan, which would be managed by a body called the Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Trust, or GREAT Trust.
In a modern and controversial twist, the plan proposes that Gaza residents who own land would be given a digital token in exchange for the right to develop their property. This token could ostensibly be used to fund a new life in another country or, alternatively, be redeemed later for an apartment in one of six to eight new “AI-powered, smart cities” envisioned to be built within Gaza.
The report stated the proposal was developed by some of the same Israelis behind the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has been distributing food aid inside the enclave. The GHF’s operations have themselves been mired in controversy, with aid groups and the United Nations leveling heavy criticism. The UN human rights office stated on July 22 that Israeli forces had killed more than 1,000 Palestinians attempting to access food aid in Gaza since the GHF began operations, with nearly three-quarters of those deaths occurring near GHF distribution sites.
Voices from Gaza: Rejection, Resignation, and a Glimmer of Acceptance
The reaction from Palestinians on the ground in Gaza reflected a mixture of outright rejection, weary skepticism, and, for a few, a desperate willingness to consider anything that might end the violence.
Qasem Habib, a 37-year-old Palestinian living in a tent in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood, dismissed the reported proposal as “nonsense.” His solution was far simpler: “If they want to help Gaza, the way is known: pressure [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to stop the war and the killing.”
Wael Azzam, 60, sheltering in the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Yunis, said he had not heard of the specific American plan but felt confident in rejecting it outright. “We were born and raised here,” he told AFP, posing a rhetorical question that cuts to the heart of the matter: would the US president accept being displaced from his own home?
However, the relentless trauma of war has left some open to extreme solutions. Ahmed Al-Akkawi, 30, said he would support the proposal if it definitively halted the fighting. “The plan is excellent if the war stops and we are transferred to European countries to live a normal life, and if guarantees are made to rebuild Gaza,” he said. His comment highlights the depth of despair and the yearning for safety and normality after nearly two years of unrelenting conflict.
An Uncertain Path Forward
The State Department did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment on the reported plan. President Trump did chair a meeting last week to discuss post-war plans for Gaza, but the White House did not release any details or announcements following the discussion.
The strong rejection from Hamas and the palpable anger the idea provokes among Palestinians signal the immense challenges any post-conflict administration will face. A plan that is perceived as an externally imposed solution, particularly one that evokes the painful history of displacement, appears doomed to fail without genuine buy-in from the Palestinian people themselves. The future of Gaza remains one of the world’s most intractable problems, and this latest proposal seems to have only highlighted the vast gulf in perspectives between those designing the plans and those who would have to live with them.
Full credit to the original publisher: Daily Trust – https://dailytrust.com/gaza-is-not-for-sale-hamas-rejects-us-plan-to-take-over/