Hamas condemns reported US plan to evacuate Gaza: “Gaza is not for sale”

Hamas officials have strongly rejected reports of a US-backed plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip, evacuate its residents, and transform the territory into an economic and tourist zone.

Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told AFP that the reported plan was unacceptable, addressing the US administration with a pointed Palestinian proverb: “Soak it and drink its water.” He added firmly: “Gaza is not for sale.”

Naim stressed that Gaza “is not merely a city on the map or a forgotten geography, but an integral part of the greater Palestinian homeland,” underscoring “Hamas’s and our people’s absolute rejection of this plan.” 

According to The Washington Post, the 38-page document calls for relocating the population outside Gaza—or confining them to restricted zones within the Strip—while placing the territory under US supervision for ten years to develop it into a tourist hub and technology center.

A second Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also dismissed the proposal: “Hamas rejects all schemes that displace our people while entrenching the occupier on our land. These are worthless and unjust plans.” He added that Hamas has received no official communication on the matter, learning of the idea only through media reports.

According to the Post, the plan is linked to former US President Donald Trump’s vision of turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” During the proposed reconstruction phase, the Strip would be administered by a fund called the Gaza Reconstruction, Economic Recovery, and Transformation Trust (GREAT Trust).

The US State Department declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

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