Construction of an of Off-Shore Deepwater Seaport and Large Artificial Island
-- within Palestinian Jurisdiction off Rafah and Khan Younis --
Connected by Causeway to the Mainland

a. General

Phased construction of:

(a) A 5-6 Km causeway into the sea to serve as a temporary free port – with ‘Roll On, Roll-Off’ capacity -- serving the Free Industrial Zone and as a construction road for Phase 2b uses; the site of the causeway to be determined, but tentatively envisioned as extending out from Al Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip in either Rafah or Khan Younis;

to be followed by:

(b) A connected deep water free port serving the Free Industrial Zone and other commercial sites in Gaza and, later , the West Bank and also a 2 square Km artificial island providing culturally sensitive zones for small neighborhoods, desirable housing, markets, cultural facilities, waterways, pedestrian green spaces and open public spaces. After completion, an estimated population of 40,000 people would find very good living conditions here. Development to be highly responsive to climate and environmental concerns--and to the management of water.

Phasing would also include related mainland development, including major infrastructure improvements such as transportation links to the Free Industrial Zone and to the Gaza terminus of the West Bank-Gaza tunnel connection discussed below. Mainland development would also include the use of former Israeli settlements after withdrawal. (See housing discussion under Phase Four discussion below.)

b. Location

Exact siting for Phase Two of the project is to be determined. The project assumes the best location will be selected for a seaport, independent of the brief effort abandoned in October 2000, a project widely criticized for its poor location. In the words of the World Bank: “there is no need for the facilities to be located on the same site as the abandoned port project.” In particular, it is necessary that there be agreement that the site is suitable for a deepwater port.

Apart from proximity to the Free Industrial Zone, locating the seaport and residential island in Al Mawasi in either Rafah or Khan Younis keeps the construction at a distance from the ecologically sensitive Wadi Gaza (Valley of Gaza) which begins in the Hebron Mountains and descends into the Sea south of Gaza City. An Al Mawasi location would also interfere less with existing populations and is consistent with optimizing existing transportation links to the proposed tunnel terminus as well as to the Free Industrial Zone.

Nevertheless, the final siting of Phase Two is to be determined.

c. Housing

The need for housing is of paramount importance. An integral part of the overall planning initiative is a master plan that can allow the growth of at least 50,000 new housing units at this end of the Gaza strip—both on the island and on the mainland--and to allow the growth of the existing urban fabric to expand in a meaningful way to achieve this goal. Two separate, but related, undertakings are envisioned.

1. Planned Use of Former Israeli Settlements After Withdrawal:

    

   See discussion of housing under Phase Four discussion.

    

2. Sustainable, culturally desirable housing communities on the artificial island:

For details with respect to the housing planned for the island see the developed schemes presented at the Roger Williams University Center for Macro Projects and Diplomacy Conference on “New Land for Peace” in April 2004.

d. Deepwater Port Facility

This component is the key to the success of the overall plan for economic growth in the Gaza Strip. It is the “seed” that ensures the sustainability of jobs through the new Free Industrial Zone—and economic development throughout the Gaza Strip and beyond.

The design studies to date have included the conventional facilities and functions provided for Containerized Ports. While other models can be investigated, the Containerized Port seems most appropriate for this location.

The advantages of a Containerized Port are many:

• berth capacity, the amount of material that can be shipped from a single
• ship loading position, is estimated as five times the capacity of non-
• containerized ports;
• overall transit time is less;
• containers are compatible with new technologies and procedures developed
• to ensure the harmlessness of contents;
• container Ports offer safer working conditions;
• less damage to material being shipped;
• less pilferage occurs at container Ports; containers are inspected and sealed.

The principal disadvantage is the amount of surface required for the marshaling area and the Port function efficiently using expensive cranes. Considering types of assembled products and the jobs to pack containers, the impact of the disadvantages, at this point, seems less important than the advantages.

The components of the proposed Port Terminal area include:

• Ship Berth - In the initial phase of design, there will be two berths for large container ships approximately 850 ft in length and approximately 110 ft wide with a draft of approximately 40 ft. Water depths at the proposed locations are approximately 20 meters or about 65 ft;
• Container Cranes - These moveable rail mounted machines are large and expensive. Two are required for simultaneously unloading and loading functions for each ship. Crane capacities are approximately capable of carrying 30 tons;
• Marshalling Area - This is essentially a storage yard for containers that are being moved onto ships or being unloaded from ships as they move from highway tractors or are loaded onto tractors. This work is done by straddle carriers that stack and move the containers to ships or tractors;
• Container Packing Facilities. Less than container loads (LTCL) are packed full or unpacked at this location. Early design investigation examined the possibility of centralizing some manufacturing and assembling processes within a multilevel packing function for efficiency and economy. Structural costs versus monetary gains are to be evaluated for this strategy;
• Entry Facility - This function requires truck back-up space for the administrative and inventory functions to be organized;
• Inspection building / function - Relatively small in size, this function ensures the security of container loads before entering and leaving the Port.

Floating Breakwaters are being investigated for breakwaters. It is possible that barge type storage may be possible to reduce inventory within the assembly areas.