Ex-US State Department Official Warns Trump’s Postwar Gaza Plan Leads Down ’Dark Path’

By Staff, Agencies

A former US State Department official who resigned in 2023 over Washington’s arms support to "Israel" has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s so-called “Gaza Riviera” project, warning it could deepen regional instability and advance ethnic cleansing under the guise of redevelopment.

Josh Paul, who previously served as a director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, told Democracy Now on Thursday that the plan represents “a nightmarish example of profits over people.”

He said the project, reportedly discussed this week at the White House with Trump, Jared Kushner, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, reflects a dangerous effort to reshape Gaza without Palestinian participation.

Little is publicly known about the proposal. Earlier this year, Trump floated the idea of a US-administered Gaza, forced displacement of its residents, and transforming the territory into a luxury “Middle Eastern Riviera.”

Kushner, though not in an official role, has quietly advised the administration on West Asia, while Blair has long promoted economic schemes over political solutions.

Paul said that during his work with Blair, he saw a consistent focus on “pie-in-the-sky economic programs” rather than the political progress essential for Palestinian development and reconstruction.

He revealed that the Boston Consulting Group, initially involved in the Gaza Riviera concept, not only withdrew but dismissed staff connected to the project because it could not proceed without violating international law.

“This is a deeply concerning development,” Paul warned, arguing that "Israel" and its partners — including Kushner, Blair, and corporate actors — are steering Gaza down “a dark path.”

He also addressed recent statements from Biden administration officials, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and former State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who acknowledged "Israeli" war crimes in Gaza.

Paul dismissed their comments as politically motivated gestures rather than genuine accountability.

On the broader peace process, Paul condemned efforts to determine Gaza’s future without Palestinian voices.

“This is a discussion that should never have taken place without Palestinian representation,” he said, calling current initiatives a modern form of corporate and foreign colonialism that seeks to divide Palestinians into “manageable” groups for profit and strategic gain.