Honestly, the headlines lately sound like something out of a techno-thriller novel. Trump to take over Gaza. It’s a phrase that’s been bouncing around cable news and social media like a pinball, and it’s got people either terrified or weirdly optimistic. But if you look past the viral clips and the "Riviera of the Middle East" comments, what’s actually happening on the ground in early 2026 is a lot more complicated—and a lot more "Trumpian"—than a simple military occupation.
He isn't sending in the 101st Airborne to plant a flag. Instead, we’re seeing the rollout of something called the Board of Peace. It’s a seven-person executive body, chaired by Donald Trump himself, designed to oversee the "transitional governance" of the Gaza Strip. Think of it less like a traditional government and more like a high-powered corporate board of directors trying to turn around a bankrupt company.
The 20-Point Plan: Phase Two is Here
We’ve officially moved into Phase Two of the Trump administration’s 20-point roadmap. This isn't just a ceasefire anymore. The first phase, which kicked off back in October 2025, was all about stopping the bleeding—literally. It focused on the release of hostages and a cessation of major hostilities. Now, the White House is pushing for what they call "demilitarization and technocratic governance."
Basically, the idea is to replace Hamas’s eighteen-year rule with a group of "independent Palestinian experts." This 15-member technocratic committee, led by Dr. Ali Sha’ath, is supposed to handle the day-to-day boring stuff: fixing the sewers, getting the lights back on, and running the hospitals. But—and this is the big "but"—they aren't acting alone. They report directly to the Board of Peace.
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Who's on this board? It’s a list that reads like a guest list from Mar-a-Lago:
- Jared Kushner: The son-in-law who has been vocal about the "valuable" potential of Gaza's waterfront.
- Marco Rubio: The Secretary of State, balancing the diplomatic heavy lifting.
- Steve Witkoff: A real estate mogul and Trump's special envoy.
- Tony Blair: The former UK Prime Minister who just can't seem to stay out of Middle Eastern politics.
- Ajay Banga: The World Bank President, because you can't rebuild a war zone without serious cash.
Is Gaza Becoming a Real Estate Project?
You’ve probably heard the "waterfront property" comments. Jared Kushner caught a lot of heat for suggesting that Gaza’s coast could be incredibly valuable if "people would focus on building up livelihoods." To some, it sounds like a visionary economic plan. To others, it sounds like a precursor to displacement.
Kushner’s logic is simple: Gaza has prime Mediterranean real estate. If you remove the tunnels and the rockets, you have a tourist destination. During an interview at Harvard, he even suggested moving civilians out to the Negev desert or Egypt while the "cleanup" happens. While the administration officially talks about "reconstruction," the "Trump to take over Gaza" narrative is fueled by this belief that the Strip can be rebranded and rebuilt from the ground up, likely with a lot of international private equity.
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The Security Situation: The ISF
You can't have five-star hotels if people are still shooting at each other. That’s where the International Stabilization Force (ISF) comes in. Led by Major General Jasper Jeffers, this force is supposed to be the new sheriff in town. The goal? Full demilitarization.
But here is the reality check: No one has actually signed up to send troops yet. The U.S. wants Arab nations and European allies to provide the boots on the ground, while the U.S. provides the "oversight." It’s a tough sell. Hamas has said they’ll hand over "official functions" to the technocratic committee, but they haven't exactly started handing over their rifles.
Why This Matters for 2026
The stakes are massive. If this works, Trump pulls off the "Deal of the Century" and potentially normalizes relations between Israel and the rest of the Arab world. If it fails, it’s a chaotic power vacuum that could pull the entire region back into a hot war.
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Benjamin Netanyahu is playing along for now, calling the new committee a "declaratory move." He’s skeptical—rightly so—about whether Hamas will actually disarm. But as long as the U.S. is footing part of the bill and providing a diplomatic shield, the Israeli government seems content to let the "Board of Peace" try its hand at management.
What You Need to Watch Next:
- Monitor the ISF Deployment: Keep an eye on which countries actually commit troops to the International Stabilization Force. Without them, the technocratic committee is just a group of people with clipboards and no power.
- Watch the Waterfront: Look for the first major reconstruction contracts. If they go to international luxury developers rather than local infrastructure firms, we'll know which direction the "takeover" is really headed.
- Follow the Amnesty Program: The administration is floating an amnesty program for militants who lay down arms. The success of this will determine if Phase Two actually leads to peace or just a temporary pause.
- Stay Updated on the "Board of Peace" Meetings: Their decisions on capital mobilization will dictate how fast—or slow—Gaza is rebuilt.
The "takeover" isn't a military conquest in the old-school sense. It's an attempt to apply a corporate governance model to a humanitarian disaster. Whether a board of real estate moguls and former politicians can solve a 75-year-old conflict is the trillion-dollar question.