A bombshell leaked proposal for a luxury Israeli development on the Gaza coast has been met with fury and disbelief, denounced as a dystopian fantasy designed to mask what critics are calling a campaign of ethnic cleansing.
The detailed plan, obtained by the Hebrew-language newspaper Calcalist, outlines a vision for a 'Gaza Riviera'—a high-end tourist destination complete with luxury hotels, residential villas, and commercial marinas. This new infrastructure would be built on land currently home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
A Vision Built on Ruins
The proposal, reportedly presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, explicitly envisions a Gaza Strip devoid of its Palestinian population. It suggests the coastal enclave's residents would be permanently relocated, making way for the new development intended to attract international tourism and investment.
Promotional materials within the leak even include architectural visualisations of the planned resort, starkly contrasting with the current reality of widespread destruction following months of conflict.
International Condemnation and Accusations
The reaction from Palestinian officials and British MPs has been swift and severe. They have condemned the plan as not only grotesquely insensitive but as a transparent attempt to provide a political and economic cover for the forced displacement of Gaza's population—an act they equate to ethnic cleansing.
One senior Palestinian official slammed the proposal as "insane," stating it reveals the Israeli government's true intentions to annex land and prevent the return of those displaced by the war.
In the UK, the leak has ignited political fury. MPs from across the spectrum have expressed horror, with Labour's Zarah Sultana stating the plan "makes clear the Israeli government's barbaric aim is to ethnically cleanse Gaza and permanently occupy it." The leak is expected to intensify calls for the UK government to take a stronger stance against the Israeli operation.
The Israeli Response
The Israeli government has moved quickly to distance itself from the controversy. A statement from Netanyahu's office dismissed the 'Gaza Riviera' plan as a "non-binding" concept paper created by a private consultancy, lacking any official status or endorsement.
However, critics remain unconvinced, arguing that the mere existence of such a detailed plan, prepared for the Prime Minister's review, signals a dangerous direction of travel in Israeli strategic thinking and undermines official claims about the war's objectives.
