A think tank founded by Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister, was linked to a controversial post-war reconstruction plan to transform Palestine’s Gaza Strip into a resort destination, echoing an earlier proposal by Donald Trump. The reports were published by the Financial Times (FT) and The Telegraph on July 6.
Documents first obtained and reported by the FT revealed that the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), a nonprofit founded by Blair, contributed to a reconstruction proposal led by Israeli businessmen with involvement from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The plan, named Great Trust, included provisions to pay relocation costs for around 500,000 Palestinian residents to move them out of Gaza. It also proposed creating an artificial island along Gaza’s coast and designating the area as a low-tax “special economic zone.” Additionally, the proposal included an idea to establish an “Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone,” named after Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.
According to the FT, parts of the document written by TBI staff described the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza as a “once-in-a-century opportunity to rebuild Gaza into a safe, modern, and prosperous society.” Both the FT and The Telegraph reported that while TBI did not draft the final version nor officially endorse the plan, two TBI researchers were part of a group messaging channel working on the project and attended related conference calls.
The project also stirred internal controversy at BCG, which withdrew from it in May and fired two employees involved. A spokesperson for Tony Blair told The Telegraph that Blair never spoke with staff preparing the plan or offered opinions on it, adding that TBI communicates with many organizations about post-war Gaza reconstruction. “The TBI team is talking to various groups and organizations about post-war plans for Gaza but has no involvement in writing this particular plan,” the spokesperson said. “It is true that two TBI staff joined two calls, but this was simply part of broader outreach and does not indicate TBI support for the plan.”
In February, President Donald Trump proposed relocating Palestinian residents from Gaza to other countries and developing the area into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” This idea drew strong international criticism for its inhumane aspects, with many labeling it a potential war crime, as it involved expelling Palestinians from their territory occupied by Israel for profit-oriented resort development. Although Trump backed down by no longer mentioning it, observers believe he could revive the proposal after the war ends during future reconstruction discussions.
