Dubai-based logistics giant DP World has held talks with representatives linked to Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” over managing supply chains and infrastructure projects in Gaza, according to the Financial Times (FT) newspaper.

The talks reportedly explored whether the state-owned company could partner with the group to oversee logistics for humanitarian aid and commercial goods entering the besieged Palestinian enclave.

That would include warehousing, cargo tracking systems and security arrangements, the report said. Other proposals discussed reportedly included building a new port in Gaza or on Egypt’s nearby Mediterranean coast, as well as creating a free-trade zone inside the war-ravaged territory.

The discussions form part of longstanding proposals by US officials to privatise much of the Palestinian territory’s services and infrastructure as part of their plans for a “new Gaza”.

But critics have accused such plans of sidelining Palestinians, bypassing international institutions, including the United Nations, and risking legitimisation of the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land.

The report comes as progress towards peace in Gaza has stalled. Israel continues to occupy large swaths of the enclave, while aid access remains heavily restricted despite a US-brokered “ceasefire” announced last October. Since then, Israeli attacks have killed more than 700 people and injured about 2,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The FT said a draft proposal it reviewed described a vision for a “secure and traceable supply chain system” and a “port-led economic ecosystem”, alongside light industry and job-creation platforms.

A spokesperson for DP World told the newspaper they were not aware of any discussions. The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to FT’s request for comment.

DP World, owned by the Dubai government, is one of the world’s largest port operators and says it handles about 10 percent of global trade daily across more than 80 countries.

The company’s senior leadership was reshuffled after longtime chair Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem stepped down in February following scrutiny over his links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Meanwhile, discussions linked to Gaza’s reconstruction have continued behind the scenes, including talks with companies in the security, finance and technology sectors, the FT said.

A joint assessment by the European Union, UN and World Bank said Gaza will require $71.4bn for reconstruction over the next 10 years, including $23bn needed in the next 18 months. (BBC)

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