NYT: US plans temporary housing in Israeli-controlled part of Gaza

The Trump administration is pushing to begin construction of new housing complexes for Palestinians in the eastern part of Gaza, which is under Israeli control.

Most of Gaza’s population remains in areas controlled by Hamas, where reconstruction is still prohibited, Caliber.Az reports, citing the New York Times (NYT).

American officials describe the upcoming projects as “Alternative Safe Communities.” Each complex is designed to accommodate 20,000–25,000 residents and include schools and medical clinics. The buildings are intended to be temporary.

Aryeh Lightstone, a Trump administration official overseeing the initiative, said the goal is to provide people with safe housing quickly. “This is the easiest way to do that,” he noted.

The plan is meant as a temporary solution to house thousands of Palestinians. The report notes concerns that it could entrench a long-term division of Gaza into a Hamas-controlled “red zone” and an Israeli-controlled “green zone.”

The project is based on the Trump administration's peace proposals and reflects the lack of progress in dislodging Hamas. Officials acknowledge multiple challenges, including possible restrictions on residents’ movement, strict Israeli oversight, uncertainty over whether Palestinians will relocate, and funding issues. Even building ten complexes would cover only a small fraction of the enclave’s population.

Sources told the NYT that site clearance in the Rafah area could begin in the coming days. Each complex is estimated to cost tens of millions of dollars, and assembly of the prefabricated structures is expected to take 6–9 weeks. Container-style housing is also being considered.

As of mid-November 2025, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reports that the overall population of the Gaza Strip remains around 2.1 million.

According to the latest from the Gaza Ministry of Health (as relayed by UN/OCHA), by November 19, 2025, there have been 69,513 reported fatalities and 170,745 injuries among Palestinians since the war began on October 7, 2023.

As of November 10, 2025, about 1 million people are living in 862 documented displacement sites across Gaza, while an estimated 75,000 reside in shelters managed by UNRWA (with many more in informal shelter or makeshift housing).

By Jeyhun Aghazada