Tony Blair think tank 'involved in talks over plan for Gaza Riviera holiday destination' with staff saying Israeli attacks created redevelopment 'opportunity'
Staff from the former Labour prime minister's Institute for Global Change (TBI) shared ideas for a 'Gaza Riviera' saying that the widespread damage caused by months of Israeli attacks had created a 'once-in-a-century opportunity' to redevelop it.
They advocated Dubai-style artificial islands, a deepwater port and low tax 'special economic zones in a 12-person message group that included Israeli businessmen and staff from Boston Consulting Group, the Financial Times reported.
The unpublished report added that there was a chance to build a 'secure, modern prosperous society'.
Few of their ideas made the final cut of 'the Great Cut', a 35-page proposal put together by BCG staff and the Israelis that including a plan for a 'Trump Riviera' and an Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone, before the multi-billionaire businessman fell out with the president.
More controversially it included a proposal to pay up to half a million Palestinians to leave Gaza to allow it to be developed.
TBI staff were not involved and a spokeswoman said it was opposed to any plan which tries to make Gazans leave Gaza.
The idea of kicking Palestinians out of their home and turning Gaza into a holiday resort was suggested by Donald Trump earlier this year and members of his administration were sent the 35-page deck, the FT said.
Just 15 days into his administration, Trump stood alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and said he wished to take over the Palestinian territory and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East.'
'I don't want to be a wise guy, but the Riviera of the Middle East is going to be something that could be so ... magnificent,' he said of a plan which triggered widespread criticism.
He later promoted an AI-generated video of what a Gaza Strip resort town could look like, depicting glorious beach resorts and ritzy hotels built over what is currently rubble.
But since then the war has continued with little respite from the killing of civilians.
Israeli strikes killed at least 60 people across Gaza today in some of the heaviest attacks in weeks as Netanyahu travels to Washington for a new ceasefire push by Trump.
The TBI spokeswoman told the Mail that its staff had nothing to do with the final plan that was created, saying it spoke to 'many different groups and organisations with post war ''plans'' for Gaza'.
'TBI staff participated in two calls, as they have done with many other people with ''Gaza plans'' and interacting with them doesn't mean endorsement,' she added.
'Of course we're opposed to any plan which tries to make Gazans leave Gaza. We want them to be able to stay and live in Gaza.
'The TBI document referred to is an internal TBI document looking at proposals being made by various parties covering all the different aspects of what a post war Gaza could look like, though it is one of many such internal documents; but it was not produced in connection with the BCG work nor given to BCG.
'TBI's work in the region, since its inception, has always been dedicated to building a better Gaza for Gazans. Tony Blair has worked for this since leaving office. It has never been about relocating Gazans, which is a proposal TBI has never authored, developed or endorsed.'
BCG last night said the work was 'orchestrated and run secretly outside any BCG scope or approvals' by two former partners who were 'categorically told not to'.
'We fully disavow this work. BCG was not paid for any of this work,' it added in a statement.
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