US Plans Large Gaza Base for Stabilization Force

The Trump administration is planning to construct a large military base in southern Gaza to serve as the headquarters for an international stabilization force, according to contracting records reviewed by multiple sources. The facility, spanning more than 350 acres, would accommodate up to 5,000 personnel and form part of postwar security arrangements in the Gaza Strip.

The proposed base, detailed in documents associated with the U.S.-backed Board of Peace, would be built in phases on a sparsely populated plain littered with debris from years of conflict. The site measures approximately 1,400 meters by 1,100 meters and includes 26 trailer-mounted armored observation towers, a small-arms firing range, underground bunkers equipped with ventilation systems, storage warehouses for military equipment, and perimeter fencing reinforced with barbed wire. Officials involved in the planning process indicated that international construction firms experienced in conflict zones have conducted site visits to evaluate the location, though no contractor has been selected yet.

The base is intended to support the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational group authorized by the...