The White House and politically connected US contractors are positioning to run humanitarian logistics and reconstruction in Gaza, where the UN estimates rebuilding costs at about $70 billion. A leaked planning document proposes a "Master Contractor" to manage 600 daily truckloads and charge fees that could generate large revenues; Gothams LLC was reported as a frontrunner but its founder says he has withdrawn. Key questions remain about who will control permits, how the UN and humanitarian agencies will participate, and how to prevent profiteering from undermining relief.
Who Will Profit From Gaza’s Rebuild? GOP-Linked Contractors Race for Lucrative Logistics Role
Homes and buildings destroyed by the Israeli military in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on 13 December 2025.Photograph: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images
Well-connected Republican businesses and former Trump administration aides are positioning to run humanitarian logistics and postwar reconstruction in Gaza, according to documents and multiple sources reviewed by the Guardian. With the United Nations estimating reconstruction costs near $70 billion and roughly three-quarters of Gaza’s buildings damaged or destroyed, the postwar logistics and construction market could be highly lucrative.
What’s Currently Proposed
At present there is no mechanism to award long-term reconstruction contracts. The UN endorsed a Board of Peace in November — a body that would be chaired by former President Donald Trump — but that entity is not yet fully operational, and a new Civil-Military Coordination Center only has a limited mandate.
Parallel to international efforts, the White House has created a Gaza taskforce reportedly led by Jared Kushner alongside Steve Witkoff and Aryeh Lightstone. The Guardian reports that two former officials who worked on Elon Musk-related government reorganization efforts have circulated detailed logistics slide decks outlining costs, warehouse locations and revenue projections for potential operators.
"Master Contractor" Model And Trucking Fees
One planning document, labeled "Sensitive but Unclassified," proposes a single "Master Contractor" to manage 600 daily truckloads into Gaza and suggests charging fees — roughly $2,000 per humanitarian truckload and $12,000 per commercial truckload. The document frames the contractor as a licensing operator that could "earn a fair return" on humanitarian and commercial traffic. If implemented at scale, the Guardian estimates trucking fees alone could generate about $1.7 billion in gross annual revenue for a Master Contractor.
Trucking capacity is central to any rebuilding: before the war, about 500 trucks entered Gaza each day. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has sometimes sealed border crossings and limited supplies of food, fuel and building materials; although a ceasefire accord set a goal of 600 truckloads daily, actual entry has averaged near 140 trucks per day.
Companies Lining Up — And Concerns Raised
Documents and sources identify Gothams LLC — a politically connected contractor that previously held a $33 million state contract for a south Florida detention site nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" — as an apparent frontrunner to manage logistics. Gothams’ founder, Matt Michelsen, told the Guardian he reconsidered his participation and withdrew, citing security concerns and the publicity generated by reporting.
"Everybody and their brother is trying to get a piece of this," said one long-time contractor. "People are treating this like another Iraq or Afghanistan. And they’re trying to get, you know, rich off of it."
Humanitarian actors and aid experts warn that private-sector planning dominated by politically connected firms risks sidelining experienced aid organizations. Amed Khan, who runs a foundation delivering medicine to Gaza, criticized the approach: "None of these people are humanitarians or have backgrounds in humanitarian assistance. It’s a bunch of crap. There’s no surge of medicine, no surge of medical equipment."
Who’s Involved — And Who Controls Access
Two former Doge officials named in reporting — Josh Gruenbaum, now a senior adviser to the Gaza taskforce and previously an appointee at the General Services Administration, and Adam Hoffman, a recent Princeton graduate — have been described by sources as active in soliciting logistics proposals. The White House taskforce declined to provide detailed answers about the process, saying plans are at an early stage and multiple proposals are under consideration.
Israeli authorities retain control over access permits for groups working in Gaza, which means any contractor or humanitarian operator will need Israeli clearance to move goods and personnel into most parts of the territory. International debate continues over whether Gaza should be rebuilt as a viable home for its roughly 2.1 million residents or redeveloped with luxury projects envisioned by political backers.
Outlook
The situation remains fluid. Formal governance and contracting mechanisms are incomplete, key actors dispute the mandates and methods under discussion, and humanitarian experts caution that commercial models must not undermine immediate relief or longer-term recovery. As companies and advisers press plans, transparency, oversight and alignment with humanitarian principles will be critical to ensure reconstruction serves Gaza’s residents rather than private profit alone.
