US begins building new Gaza-border base as Trump plan remains stalled

US military building military base in southern Israel meant to house international forces slated to police the Gaza Strip.

By World Israel News Staff

The US military has begun building a large base near the Gaza border that is expected to serve as a military and civilian headquarters for international forces and organizations working to implement the Trump administration’s Gaza plan, Israel Hayom reported Wednesday.

The site is located near Re’im, not far from the Gaza Strip, and is intended to replace the multinational headquarters that had operated from Kiryat Gat, according to the report.

The Kiryat Gat facility had served as a coordination center for representatives from more than two dozen countries, including several Arab states, but most foreign representatives left after the outbreak of the war with Iran.

Israel Hayom said the new base is being built in coordination with Israel, with the Defense Ministry and the IDF assisting the Americans on the ground.

Construction plans include a command-and-control tower, mobile structures for forces and headquarters staff and later permanent buildings.

The base is connected to the Trump administration’s “Board of Peace” framework, which was established to oversee implementation of the US-backed plan for Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel Hayom reported that expert committees operating under the board have already prepared plans for education, infrastructure, rubble removal and other civilian fields ahead of a possible reconstruction phase.

The main obstacle remains Hamas’s refusal to disarm, a condition in the plan and a core Israeli demand.

“The chance of fighting resuming in the Gaza Strip is greater than the possibility of a diplomatic agreement,” a security source told Israel Hayom.

Five countries — Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania — have approved sending forces to the area, according to the report.

Bangladesh, Pakistan and Azerbaijan have expressed willingness in principle, but have not given final approval.

Israel opposes the deployment of forces from countries it views as hostile, including Pakistan and Turkey.

Indonesia has continued training a force of about 5,000 troops for the mission even as most other participating countries have frozen practical steps because of the Iran war.

In February, The Guardian reported, based on contracting records it reviewed, that Trump administration officials were planning a 5,000-person military base inside Gaza for an International Stabilization Force tied to the Board of Peace.

The records described a compound of about 350 acres, with armored watchtowers, bunkers, a small-arms range and surveys for tunnels and underground voids.