Businessmen, builders, fixers and speculators have descended on Gaza like birds of prey – from the United States to Egypt, always going through Israel. There is money to be made on the hunger of Palestinians, and while bombs were destroying dozens of homes and families every day, at the court of President Donald Trump they were already contending for a slice of the pie. According to a United Nations estimate, rebuilding what Israel has destroyed is a business worth $70 billion.

At this point, the most well-known companies involved are those owned by entrepreneurs linked to the Republican Party. A notable one is Gothams LLC, known for managing the infamous migrant detention center nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” in southern Florida, where people live in tents and containers. Gothams LLC won a $33 million contract for managing the prison and now, according to an investigation by the British daily The Guardian, has presented its “logistical” proposal for Gaza to the “Peace Council.”

The leader of the company, Matt Michelsen, is a Republican who financially supported the electoral campaign of conservative Texas Governor Greg Abbott. His company is a part of the flourishing American market of “disaster businesses” and has recently secured a number of major government contracts. Reached by The Guardian, Michelsen said he was disturbed by journalists’ questions and that he’d reconsidered taking part in commercial........

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