Trump Officials Planning 5,000-Person Military Base in Gaza

As the newly created Board of Peace is set to convene Thursday in Washington, a report in The Guardian revealed today that officials in the Trump administration are planning to build a 5,000-person military base in southern Gaza. The proposed compound would span approximately 350 acres and serve as the operating hub for a future International Stabilization Force (ISF).

According to contracting records reviewed by the Guardian, the site is envisioned as a major military outpost anchoring the Board of Peace’s security framework for postwar Gaza. The ISF is tasked with securing Gaza’s borders, maintaining internal stability, protecting civilians, and training vetted Palestinian police forces.

The documents describe a phased construction plan covering a footprint of roughly 1,400 meters by 1,100 meters. The base would include 26 trailer-mounted armored watch towers, a small arms range, bunkers, and a warehouse for military equipment. The entire perimeter would be encircled by barbed wire. Plans also call for a network of reinforced bunkers measuring six meters by four meters, equipped with ventilation systems for protection during potential attacks.

One provision in the contract instructs the contractor to conduct a geophysical survey “to identify any subterranean voids, tunnels, or large cavities per phase,” an apparent reference to the extensive tunnel infrastructure built by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Another section outlines a “Human Remains Protocol,” stating that if suspected human remains or cultural artifacts are discovered, work must cease immediately and authorities must be notified.

The proposed site is located in an arid stretch of southern Gaza currently under Israeli operational control. A source familiar with the planning told the Guardian that a small group of international construction firms experienced in war zones has already toured the area.

The revelation comes as the Board of Peace holds its inaugural meeting in Washington today. More than 20 countries have joined the body, though several major European allies declined top-level participation. Indonesia has signaled it may contribute up to 8,000 troops to the stabilization force.

Despite the UN authorization, significant uncertainties remain. It is unclear what the ISF’s rules of engagement would be in the event of renewed Israeli military operations or attacks by Hamas. The documents reviewed by the Guardian do not clarify what role the force would play in disarming Hamas, a condition Israel has repeatedly said is necessary for long-term reconstruction to proceed.

Israel is participating in the Board process, but no official Israeli endorsement of the specific base construction plan has been published. Hamas has previously rejected foreign stabilization forces and opposed elements of the UN-backed framework.

US Central Command referred questions about the base to the Board of Peace. A Trump administration official declined to discuss the leaked contracting documents, stating: “As the President has said, no US boots will be on the ground. We’re not going to discuss leaked documents.”

Construction would reportedly proceed in phases, dependent on troop commitments and funding pledges made during the Washington meeting. How and when such a force could operate in Gaza, particularly amid unresolved security and political tensions, remains unclear.