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UAE to fund a 'planned community' in ruins of Rafah
The Guardian
|January 24, 2026
The United Arab Emirates plans to fund “Gaza’s first planned community” on the ruined outskirts of Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.
(NIR ELIAS/REUTERS)
Palestinian residents will have access to education, healthcare and water, as long as they submit to biometric data collection and security vetting, according to planning documents and people familiar with the talks at the US-led Civil Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Israel.The planned city would mark the UAE’s first investment in a postwar reconstruction project located in the part of Gaza currently held by Israel. The Gulf state has contributed more than $1.8bn (£1.3bn) of humanitarian aid to Gaza since 7 October 2023, according to UAE state media, making it Gaza’s largest humanitarian donor.
The presentation was prepared for a group of European donors who visited the CMCC on 14 January, according to an aid official who shared details on condition of anonymity. Israeli military planners have given the plans their approval.
This story is from the January 24, 2026 edition of The Guardian.
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