US confirms plan for housing zones inside occupied Gaza

US confirms Kushner-linked plan for housing zones inside occupied Gaza
 

A senior US official has confirmed that the Trump administration is actively pursuing a plan to construct large housing compounds for “screened” Palestinians inside Israeli-occupied Gaza—an initiative that has been quietly shaped by a small circle of political appointees tied to Jared Kushner. The New York Times reports that the project, branded “Alternative Safe Communities,” is being designed by Aryeh Lightstone, an American rabbi who served as a senior adviser to the former US ambassador to Israel and now works directly under Kushner. Lightstone and his team—described as a mix of US officials, former Department of Government Efficiency staff, and unnamed Israeli business magnates—are operating out of high-end hotels in Tel Aviv, with no clarity on who is financing their stay.

The plan envisions the creation of prefab housing sites behind the so-called “yellow line,” an area under full Israeli military control. Israeli troops are expected to begin rubble clearance in Rafah—site of the first intended compound—this week. That process could take months due to tunnels, unexploded bombs, and human remains, after which construction of the homes would take another six to nine weeks. Officials involved in the project acknowledge that Palestinians would have to voluntarily accept living in territory controlled by the army that destroyed much of Gaza.

The initiative appears to lack funding. Tens of millions of dollars are needed to construct the first batch of housing, but Washington has not committed any US taxpayer money, and Trump has repeatedly insisted that Gulf states should pay. Lightstone, who previously led the Abraham Accord Peace Institute, is also exploring a proposed Gaza cryptocurrency and a traffic-free urban redesign for the shattered enclave.

A major unresolved issue is land ownership. Gaza’s land registry remains intact, and US officials are attempting to obtain it from Rafah. It remains unclear whether Palestinian owners would be given any choice in the matter.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• US confirms it is directly involved in designing housing compounds inside Israeli-occupied Gaza.

• The Kushner-aligned team is planning prefab “safe communities” despite no clear funding and major legal obstacles.

• Land ownership, Palestinian consent, and the political optics of US involvement remain explosive unresolved issues.

SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST EYE