As international pressure to end the war in Gaza grows, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's name has emerged as a political figure after it was revealed that he was leading an initiative to take over a transitional government in Gaza after the fighting ended, as part of a plan backed by US President Donald Trump.
(Trump)'s plan called for Blair (72) to take over a transitional government in Gaza, with the eventual handover of power to the Palestinian Authority, 2006. According to reports, the plan envisages the transition period being based on the establishment of a temporary body called the “International Transitional Authority for Gaza“, which would be supervised by the UN for several years before handing over power to the Palestinian Authority after major reforms were introduced.
The "transitional authority" will be considered the "supreme political and legal authority in Gaza during the transitional period". It is expected to include at least one Palestinian representative, along with UN representatives and global economic experts, and the idea is based on previous attempts in East Timor and Kosovo. The plan also envisages the reunification of the West Bank and Gaza before the transfer of the territories to the Palestinian Authority.
Talks about Blair's return began on August 27, when the White House hosted a meeting with President Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The stated purpose of the meeting was to discuss the situation in Gaza, without Tony Blair's role being announced at the time.
The American president has not hesitated to express his opinion openly. He has already released a clip created with the help of artificial intelligence, which presents his vision for the "Gaza Riviera". There are skyscrapers and a giant golden statue of himself. He said that everyone he spoke to "liked the idea of the United States owning this piece of land and developing it," while some observers described the plan as a get-rich-quick scheme based on war crimes, artificial intelligence and tourism.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, is a real estate insider and is said to be on good terms with Tony Blair, sharing his no-nonsense style. When the two were interviewed at a forum at Harvard's Kennedy School, they spoke of the "valuable" potential of coastal real estate in Gaza and suggested that Israel relocate civilians from the Negev Desert to the south of the country after it is bulldozed in preparation for development.
The third real estate figure behind this conversation is Trump's golf buddy and current US Middle East envoy Steve Witkow, who announced that the United States is preparing a "comprehensive" plan for the day after the war.
What do these "real estate troika" think? On September 2, 2025, the "Independent" newspaper reported that the plan for rebuilding Gaza after the war would include paying $5,000 to Palestinians in the Strip in exchange for their "voluntary" departure.
The Gaza Recovery, Economic Acceleration and Transformation Fund, known as "GREAT", is offering cash to two million people currently living in the strip in exchange for their resettlement to other countries or safe areas, with the deal also including four years of housing assistance and one year of food aid.
After the population leaves, the fund, which will be managed by the United States, proposes clearing the rubble and building between six and eight "smart, modern cities supported by artificial intelligence", including high-rise glass housing complexes, public gardens and "world resorts" stretching along the Mediterranean coast, along with electric car factories and data centers. And of course, the picture is not complete without golf courses.
All this in the complete absence of the Palestinians – the landowners and their residents.
The project will not be implemented with direct funding from the US government, but through joint investments from the public and private sectors, with Israel retaining "its rights, including meeting its security needs" with respect to Gaza, while third-country nationals and private military and security companies from "Western" countries will be responsible for internal security until a "local" police force is trained and qualified to take on the task.
The British newspaper “The Guardian“ sharply criticized the plan, bordering on outright sarcasm, describing it as the product of people lacking direct knowledge of Gaza, understanding of Middle East politics and the enormous obstacles inherent in transforming the beleaguered enclave into a multi-billion dollar tourist and technology hub that, if implemented, would inevitably become a rival to Israel.
The newspaper added: “But it is the small details that bear the greatest condemnation, as the plan does not recognize any independent sovereignty for Gaza and does not distinguish between it and Israel or Egypt, reflecting a disregard for the Palestinians' right to self-determination. Under the plan, Israel would retain extensive but vague rights in Gaza (to meet its security needs). There will be no Palestinian state, only a Palestinian entity integrated into the Trump-sponsored Abraham Accords.“
And it is fair to say that Tony Blair, the former British prime minister who previously dragged his country into the illegal war in Iraq, is widely criticized. His subsequent period as the "Quartet" envoy to the Middle East was also widely seen as a failure. From this perspective, many observers expect a new phase of Tony Blair's failed attempts.