Israel studies plan to build island off Gaza strip: report
Israel is studying plans to create an artificial island along the Gaza Strip with sea and air ports to be controlled by the Palestinian Authority, an Israeli television channel reported Tuesday. The project, under development for three months by Transport Minister Yaakov Katz proposes building a man-made island four kilometres (2.5 miles) long and two kilometres (1.2 miles) wide, Israel's Channel 2 television reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backs the plan for the island, which would also contain a tourist area, a marina, hotels and a desalination plant for sea water, the report said. It would be linked to Gaza by a four-kilometre bridge. It is estimated the project will cost $5-$10 billion (3.5-7 billion euros) and take six to 10 years to complete, the channel reported.
The project's backers in the government would like to see the island managed by Mahmud Abbas' Palestinian Authority -- freezing out Islamist movement Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip.