The UAE is reportedly backing plans for a large housing compound in Southern Gaza: Gaza-based Masoud & Ali Contracting (MACC) was reportedly contracted to construct an Emirati-funded residential complex near Rafah that could house tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians, two Israeli officials and two Palestinian businessmen told Reuters.

Where? The proposed 74-acre site sits in an area of southern Gaza under Israeli military control that was extensively damaged amid the onslaught on Gaza, the newswire reports, citing a map it has seen.

Who could be involved? One Palestinian businessman mentioned that MACC would partner with two Egyptian firms, contracted via a larger Egyptian company that would ultimately be financed by the UAE. The sources said the project would be built by Palestinians. However, there has been no confirmation from Palestinian authorities so far, and the newswire noted it is not certain whether any Palestinians would agree to work on or live in the compound.

It hasn’t been confirmed yet: The project — informally referred to by some diplomats as “Emirates City” — has not been publicly announced, and one source said the plans remain subject to Israeli approval. The UAE did not confirm the plans, but an official said the Emirates was “committed to supporting all international relief and recovery efforts in Gaza, in close collaboration with partners.” Originally, reconstruction efforts were meant to begin after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and once Hamas had been disarmed, according to Donald Trump’s Board of Peace plan.

The initiative sits within a broader US-led framework: The UAE is a member of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace — a body tasked with overseeing the second phase of Gaza’s ceasefire, including reconstruction. At the board’s first meeting last week, the UAE pledged an additional USD 1.2 bn for Gaza. Trump said participating countries — including several Gulf states that alone have pledged USD 4 bn — had collectively committed over USD 7 bn in relief funding, with the US adding USD 10 bn.

Abu Dhabi stressed Palestinian control: Jamal Al Musharakh, the UAE’s representative to the UN in Geneva, told the UN Human Rights Council yesterday that the UAE supports a “just and comprehensive peace, based on a two-state solution” and stressed that “[g]overnance and administration of Gaza are the responsibility of the Palestinian people,” The National reports.

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