These leaks come at a highly sensitive time as military operations continue in Gaza, increasing Palestinians’ fears of a repeat of the forced displacement scenario reminiscent of the 1948 Nakba. Reports revealed that the major American consulting firm Boston Consulting Group prepared a secret study commissioned by Israeli businessmen to explore scenarios for relocating Gaza Strip residents to several countries. Proposed countries include Somalia, the internationally unrecognized Somaliland, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Financial Times. The study, completed in March 2025, focused on the economic aspects of a temporary population transfer, including housing, healthcare, and food provision costs in potential host countries.

This initiative is part of broader efforts to plan Gaza’s reconstruction after the war, aligned with former US President Donald Trump’s vision to place the Gaza Strip under American supervision and transform it into what he called the ‘Middle East Riviera.’ It is noted that Boston Consulting Group previously helped establish the US- and Israel-backed Gaza humanitarian aid fund before withdrawing from all Gaza-related projects in summer 2025 following reports of civilian targeting near aid distribution points. These leaks come amid ongoing military operations in Gaza, heightening Palestinian fears of forced displacement reminiscent of the 1948 Nakba. These proposals are expected to face strong rejection from Palestinians and Arab countries, especially given the long history of similar Israeli proposals previously rejected internationally. Source: Financial Times