Could there be a .gz in the future? With U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest announcement regarding Gaza, speculation is growing about the potential implications for its digital identity.
During a press conference, Trump proposed relocating Palestinians and having the U.S. “take over” Gaza with a long-term ownership position. While the specifics remain unclear—whether this implies military occupation, annexation, or even a real estate venture—it raises an interesting question in the domain industry: Could Gaza get its own country-code top-level domain (ccTLD)?
How a New ccTLD Could Happen
Historically, territories under national control can qualify for ccTLDs, even without full international recognition. The process involves:
1. UN Statistical Division (M49 standard): If a territory appears on this list, it can be assigned a two-letter country code by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 list).
2. ICANN’s IANA department: This body manages ccTLDs and follows ISO’s designations, regardless of political recognition.
3. Local Registry & Technical Readiness: A recognized entity in the territory must demonstrate operational capability to manage the TLD.
For example, Palestine (.ps) was assigned a ccTLD 25 years ago as the “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” despite ongoing disputes over its sovereignty. Similarly, Puerto Rico (.pr) and Guam (.gu) have ccTLDs as U.S. territories.
Could Gaza Become .gz?
If the U.S. were to take over Gaza as a separate entity from the West Bank, it’s conceivable that it could be assigned .gz, assuming it remains “Gaza” and not “Trumpland” or “Disneyworld East”. However, given the geopolitical complexities, this remains purely speculative.
While ccTLD assignments follow bureaucratic procedures rather than political legitimacy, the idea of a U.S.-controlled Gaza having its own digital identity raises both technical and ethical debates.
News Source:Kevin Murphy，This article does not represent our position.
