The Trump administration is planning a 5,000-person military base in Gaza to support the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational contingent under the Board of Peace tasked with governing the territory.
Documents obtained by The Guardian outline phased construction of the base across 350 acres. The compound would be enclosed with barbed wire and equipped with 26 trailer-mounted armored watchtowers, bunkers and a warehouse for military equipment.
The document specifies that contractors must perform geophysical surveys to identify “subterranean voids, tunnels, or large cavities,” in the area.
While more than 20 countries have joined the Board of Peace, it remains unclear which ones would actually send forces. The Indonesian government has reportedly offered up to 8,000 troops.
According to the United Nations, the ISF will be responsible for securing Gaza’s border and maintaining peace within the area. It is also tasked with protecting civilians and training and supporting “vetted Palestinian police forces.”
The ISF’s rules of engagement are uncertain in the event of combat, renewed Israeli bombing, or attacks by Hamas. Its role in disarming Hamas, a key Israeli condition for moving forward with Gaza’s reconstruction, also remains unclear.
The Board of Peace is chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump and partly overseen by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
In November, the White House strongly denied reports that the U.S. was planning to set up a large military base in Israel near the Gaza border for international forces to operate.
