UAE backs new Gaza housing project near Rafah for displaced Palestinians

A Gaza-based contractor has been hired to build a major Emirati-funded housing compound, for displaced Palestinians, near Rafah.

According to Israeli and Palestinian officials, the Masoud & Ali Contracting Co, a firm long active in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, will lead construction alongside two Egyptian partners on a site near Rafah.

The project, known as “Emirates City”, would span roughly 74 acres and include multi-storey, pre-fabricated trailer-style units capable of housing tens of thousands of people.

Officials claim that the initiative appears to kick-start reconstruction in Gaza without waiting for an Israeli military withdrawal. 

Moreover, employing local Palestinian workers is also seen as a way to ease opposition to the scheme, though it remains unclear how many residents would agree to live or work in an area under Israeli control.

However, the UAE has not formally announced the project but reaffirmed its commitment to humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The housing plan emerged after the UAE pledged billions in aid at the Board of Peace reconstruction conference.

Diplomats say the compound would be made near a ceasefire “yellow line” dividing Israeli and Hamas areas.