Trump Administration Plans 5,000-Person Military Base in Gaza, Documents Reveal
Exclusive contracting records reviewed by the Guardian disclose that the Trump administration is advancing plans to construct a massive military base in Gaza, designed to house up to 5,000 personnel and sprawl across approximately 350 acres. The base is intended to serve as an operating hub for a future International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational military contingent tasked with maintaining peace in the region.
Details of the Proposed Military Compound
The plans outline a phased construction of a fortified outpost measuring 1,400 metres by 1,100 metres. It will be encircled by barbed wire and feature 26 trailer-mounted armored watch towers, a small arms range, bunkers, and a warehouse for military equipment. The site is located in an arid, flat area of southern Gaza, characterized by saltbush and white broom shrubs, and littered with debris from years of Israeli bombardment.
A geophysical survey is mandated to identify subterranean voids, tunnels, or large cavities, likely referencing Hamas's extensive tunnel network. The document also includes a "Human Remains Protocol," requiring work to cease immediately if human remains or cultural artifacts are discovered, with Gaza's civil defense agency estimating around 10,000 Palestinian bodies buried under rubble.
Governance and International Involvement
The ISF is part of the newly created Board of Peace, chaired by Donald Trump and led in part by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, which is authorized by the UN Security Council to govern Gaza temporarily. The force's responsibilities include securing Gaza's borders, maintaining internal peace, protecting civilians, and training vetted Palestinian police forces.
However, the ISF's rules of engagement in scenarios involving combat, Israeli bombing, or Hamas attacks remain unclear, as does its role in disarming Hamas, a key Israeli condition for Gaza's reconstruction. While over 20 countries have joined the Board of Peace, major European allies have declined participation, and experts criticize its governance as murky.
Controversies and Criticisms
Adil Haque, a law professor at Rutgers University, described the Board of Peace as a "legal fiction," nominally independent but effectively a tool for U.S. interests. Funding and governance structures are opaque, with contractors reporting conversations conducted via Signal rather than official government channels.
Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former peace negotiator, condemned the plan as an act of occupation, questioning whose permission was obtained to build on Palestinian land. Much of the south Gaza area is under Israeli control, and the UN estimates at least 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced during the war.
U.S. officials have declined to comment on the leaked documents, with a Trump administration official stating, "As the President has said, no US boots will be on the ground. We're not going to discuss leaked documents." The Indonesian government has reportedly offered to send up to 8,000 troops, with its president attending the Board of Peace's inaugural meeting in Washington DC.
