Building Artificial Islands in Gaza Waters

According to the International Rescue Committee, more than two million Palestinians in Gaza—half of them children—are living without access to sufficient water, food and medical care. 1.9 million Palestinians (over 80% of the current population) have been displaced. Every person there is in need of humanitarian assistance. The International Rescue Committee reported that seventy-five per cent of the population of Gaza had been displaced, most of them multiple times as they responded to Israel’s warnings before entering certain areas. The entire population of more than two million Palestinians, half of them children, needs humanitarian assistance. Israeli bombardment and exchange of fire have damaged or destroyed over 60% of Gaza’s housing. The United Nations estimated that a total of 42m tonnes of debris lies across the territory, and that clearing the rubble, which contains human remains and unexploded ordnance, then rebuilding, could take eighty years, and cost more than $80b. The ongoing conflict, bombing and blockade have led to catastrophic humanitarian suffering as the population is without clean water, food and vital medical services. Over half of the water and sanitation facilities in Gaza have been destroyed. In the short term, there is a need to rebuild Gaza and install a new order. Given the colossal devastation, the delicate task of re-establishing Gaza from the ashes, and rehabilitating the lives of its population will require a complete overhaul of its physical infrastructure. Israel should not ignore its responsibility. The Palestinians are unable to do this on their own. It is also in Israel’s interest to see that the Gaza Strip is rehabilitated.

This enormous task requires the involvement of the international community, including Arab countries. Israel and Palestine should be part of the solution but they need partners. These are the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf countries, and other countries that have the goodwill and interest to re-establish Gaza. The Gulf countries have the know-how and the money to enable economic growth in Gaza and to expand Gaza into the Mediterranean Sea. Gaza may receive support and resources to expand by building artificial islands. Artificial islands constitute a solution to land scarcity, providing space for residential areas, commercial centres and business and industry zones. They accommodate a growing population and alleviate overcrowding in densely populated cities. By creating new land, artificial islands provide opportunities for urban development, including the construction of housing, office buildings, and recreational facilities. Islands can be constructed to serve as transportation hubs or as a part of infrastructure projects. They can accommodate airports, seaports, bridges, or tunnels, facilitating transportation and connectivity between different regions. In some cases, artificial islands are built to mitigate the impact of human activities on fragile ecosystems.

The artificial islands project is driven by a vision to encourage progress and cooperation in the region. The islands would be connected by causeways and bridges, with room for housing, farmland, and recreational activities. Gaza leaders can make the Strip a flourishing place like Singapore and the Gulf states if they prioritize the economy and the welfare of their citizens over the destruction of Israel. It is in the interest of Gaza to model itself after Bahrain’s Amwaj Islands, for instance, rather than Isis. Amwaj Islands is a group of six artificial isles off the coast of Muharraq. Singapore is another country that cultivated innovation and reclaimed land from the ocean. In 2021, the Danish Parliament approved plans for an artificial island to house 35,000 people and protect the port of Copenhagen from rising sea levels. Iconic artificial islands, such as Palm Jumeirah in Dubai or The World Archipelago, can become symbols of a city or a nation, attracting global attention and becoming tourist destinations in their own right.

The artificial islands project is much more doable and logical than the forced relocation of more than 2 million people. With this project, the Gaza artificial islands can become a world attraction, making a liveable place for the displaced Gazans.

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Raphael Cohen-Almagor received his doctorate from the University of Oxford. He is Chair in Politics, Founding Director of the Middle East Study Centre (MESC), University of Hull; Fellow at The Israel Institute for Advanced Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS), Washington DC, and President of The Association for Israel Studies (AIS). Raphael was the Yitzhak Rabin-Fulbright Visiting Professor at UCLA School of Law and Department of Communication; Visiting Professor at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University; Fellow at WWICS (twice); Distinguished Visiting Professor to the Faculty of Laws, University College London, and The 2023 Olof Palme Visiting Professor, Lund University, Sweden.

Raphael is the author of hundreds of publications, including The Boundaries of Liberty and Tolerance (1994), The Right to Die with Dignity (2001), Euthanasia in The Netherlands (2004), Speech, Media and Ethics (2005), The Scope of Tolerance (2006), The Democratic Catch (2007), Confronting the Internet’s Dark Side (2015), Just, Reasonable Multiculturalism (2021), and The Republic, Secularism and Security: France versus the Burqa and the Niqab (2022). Presently, Raphael is completing his book Resolving the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict: A Critical Study of Peace Mediation, Facilitation and Negotiations between Israel and the PLO (forthcoming CUP).