Israeli minister pushes Gaza ‘real estate bonanza’ in talks with US

Trump stated earlier this year that he envisioned Gaza’s future as a large-scale investment opportunity.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Wednesday that Gaza should be transformed into what he described as a “real estate bonanza,” confirming for the first time that Israel is holding discussions with the United States on postwar reconstruction plans.

Speaking at the Urban Renewal Summit organized by the Real Estate Center and Madlan 2025, Smotrich revealed that he has “already begun negotiations with the Americans” about a proposal he characterized as a “business plan.”

He said the initiative mirrors a vision reportedly circulating within President Donald Trump’s administration, which presents Gaza’s future as a large-scale investment opportunity.

“This plan was built by the most professional people there are,” Smotrich told the audience. “It is now on President Trump’s desk. We are examining how this becomes a real estate bonanza—I’m not joking—and pays for itself.”

The finance minister argued that Israel had borne a high cost during the war and should have a role in deciding the financial framework of Gaza’s redevelopment.

“We paid a lot of money for this war. We need to work out how we share percentages on the land,” he said. Smotrich added that the “demolition phase, the first stage of urban renewal,” has already been completed. “Now we need to build,” he continued.

Last month, The Washington Post reported on a reconstruction proposal tied to Trump’s pledge to “take control” of Gaza.

According to that account, the plan envisions placing the territory under U.S. trusteeship for at least a decade, during which it would be reshaped into a resort destination and a hub for technology and high-tech industries.

Smotrich’s remarks mark the first acknowledgment by an Israeli official that such discussions with Washington are in progress.

While the full details of the initiative remain uncertain, the finance minister presented it as both a political and an economic opportunity, framing Gaza’s future through the lens of large-scale investment and development.