US TOUTS 'NEW GAZA' VISION

GLITZY PLAN FOR SHATTERED ENCLAVE UNVEILED AS TRUMP LAUNCHES 'BOARD OF PEACE'

- STORY: JOSEPH SCHMID / AFP

Concept art for 'New Gaza' shown during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.

(PHOTOS: VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES)

Sofficials have presented their vision for a "New Gaza" that would turn the shattered Palestinian territory into a glitzy resort of skyscrapers by the sea, saying the transformation could emerge in three years.

The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, left much of the Palestinian territory damaged or destroyed and forced most of its residents to flee their homes. Amid the rubble, the US sees a development opportunity.

A US-brokered ceasefire took effect last October, reducing the level of bombing and fighting, but for most Gazans, the humanitarian disaster has endured three months on.

in Gaza. It's going to be a great thing to watch," President Donald Trump said while presenting his controversial "Board of Peace" conflict-resolution body in Davos.

"I'm a real estate person at heart... and I said, look at this location on the sea. Look at this beautiful piece of property. What it could be for so many people," he said at the World Economic Forum.

His son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has no official title but is one of Mr Trump's envoys for the Gaza ceasefire, said his "master plan" aimed for "catastrophic success".