WSJ: Kushner–Witkoff plan envisions $112-billion makeover of war-torn Gaza photo

A draft US-backed proposal to rebuild Gaza into a modern, high-end urban hub has sparked both interest and scepticism inside Washington and among regional observers, according to a detailed review published by The Wall Street Journal.

The 32-page presentation, prepared over the past 45 days by a team led by Jared Kushner and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, outlines a sweeping vision to transform the war-ravaged enclave into what supporters describe as a prosperous coastal metropolis.

Labelled “sensitive but unclassified,” the PowerPoint-style document is filled with images of luxury high-rises, infrastructure plans, and cost projections, laying out a path that would take Gaza’s population “from tents to penthouses and from poverty to prosperity.”

According to the report, the proposal—known as “Project Sunrise”—would cost an estimated $112.1 billion over a 10-year period. The United States would act as an “anchor,” backing nearly $60 billion in grants and debt guarantees, while projecting that Gaza could eventually self-finance later phases as economic growth accelerates.

US officials have shown the slides to potential donors, including wealthy Gulf states, as well as Türkiye and Egypt, but the plan does not specify which governments or private companies would ultimately fund the effort. Nor does it clarify where roughly 2 million displaced Palestinians would live during reconstruction.

The plan’s central condition is explicitly highlighted early in the document: Gaza’s rebuilding depends on Hamas demilitarising and dismantling all weapons and tunnel networks. That requirement has fueled deep scepticism among some US officials and analysts, who doubt both that Hamas would agree to disarm and that donors would commit massive resources to rebuilding a territory emerging from an unstable postwar environment.

Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the WSJ that the plan is detached from political realities on the ground, arguing that no progress is possible unless Hamas disarms—something he does not expect to happen.

The White House, responding to questions about the proposal, said President Donald Trump continues to monitor developments in Gaza and that his administration remains committed to working with partners to support “a peaceful and prosperous Gaza.”

Supporters of the project counter that leaving Gaza in a state of prolonged devastation would be far worse, and that the proposal represents the most detailed and optimistic vision yet for the enclave’s future if the conflict truly ends. However, the hurdles are immense: tens of thousands of casualties, millions of tons of rubble, toxic ground conditions, unexploded ordnance, and the continued presence of armed militants.

As outlined in the review, “Project Sunrise” would only move forward at the end of a fragile, multi-phase peace process between Israel and Hamas—underscoring how far the ambitious vision remains from implementation.

By Tamilla Hasanova