US Contractor's Proposal Exposes Trump Gaza Plan as 'Vehicle for Mass Exploitation'
Monday, February 2, 2026
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A reportedly withdrawn proposal by Gothams LLC, led by founder Michael Michelsen, would have given the company a seven-year monopoly on trucking in the Gaza Strip, with a guaranteed 300% profit margin, sparking accusations of "massive exploitation and corruption" from critics like Center for International Policy vice president Dylan Williams.
The proposal is part of Trump's so-called Board of Peace plan, which has been blasted by critics, including former US ambassador Ken Fairfax, who called it "17th-century colonialism" and accused Trump's associates of seeking to "make billions at the expense of US taxpayers and Palestinian rights and lives".
US contractors are vying for a share of the estimated $70 billion Gaza reconstruction effort, with private equity billionaire and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner unveiling plans for a "New Gaza" featuring offshore fossil fuel production, luxury apartments, and industrial parks, amid ongoing Israeli assaults on Gaza that have left over 250,000 Palestinians dead, maimed, or missing since October 2023.
