Israel plans to turn Gaza into 'Hong Kong' for Jewish settlers after mass Palestinian displacement

Israel is considering a plan to forcibly displace Palestinians and turn Gaza into the "Hong Kong of the Middle East" for illegal Jewish settlers.

The proposal discussed Tuesday in the Knesset’s committee on "restoring Jewish presence in Gush Katif", would dismantle what remains of Gaza’s infrastructure and rebuild it as a high-tech urban and commercial hub exclusively for Israeli settlers.

It includes free-trade zones, AI-driven transport networks, luxury housing, and even artificial islands off Gaza’s coast.

According to Israel Hayom, the blueprint was drafted by pro-settlement groups such as the "Gush Katif Residents Forum - Return and Victory", and architects hired to imagine post-war "day-after" scenarios.

Two far-right politicians, Tzvi Sukkot of Religious Zionism and Limor Son Har Melech of Jewish Power, said the plan would solidify the current illegal occupation after the war, which has left much of Gaza in ruins and its population facing famine and forced displacement.

The plan would bring illegal settlements evacuated during Israel’s 2005 disengagement and extend deep into Gaza’s north, centre, and south. It calls for up to 850,000 settlers to be housed in three major zones:

Northern Gaza, designated as the first phase, would include 200,000 settler units near the border towns of Sderot and Ashkelon. Central Gaza would feature a "green, smart city" with 450,000 housing units, a hospital, a seaport, and an artificial island hosting commercial centres and restaurants.

And southern Gaza, including former Gush Katif bloc, would be renamed "Gateway to the World" and host 200,000 additional settler homes, tech-driven agriculture, research institutes, and a modern port linking Israel to trade routes from India to Europe.

The project would also link Gaza's transport network to Israel’s national grid, including high-speed rail lines toward Tel Aviv and Beersheba. It proposes drone-based public transport, home energy micro-grids, and "robotic hospitals" to make the area "Israel’s most advanced city".

Mass displacement as a prerequisite

The plan openly acknowledges that it would forcibly displace Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians.

Once Palestinians are expelled, the plan envisions three years to clear unexploded ordnance and rubble, which would be recycled into construction materials for the artificial islands. Initial infrastructure would take up to seven years, with full completion projected within 15 years.

Human rights groups have condemned the move as an attempt to normalise war crimes and genocide. Palestinian legal experts warn it amounts to a blueprint for ethnic cleansing under the guise of urban development.

Israel's ongoing war on Gaza has killed well over 59,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are innocent civilians. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in the south of the enclave with no access to food, water, or medical care.