The United States is planning to establish a large military base in the Gaza envelope area for use by international forces that will operate in the Strip to maintain a ceasefire. This was revealed by the "Shomrim" website citing Israeli sources exposed to the initial plans, who noted that the base could house several thousand soldiers. The budget for its establishment is expected to be around half a billion dollars, they said. In recent weeks, the Americans have been working to advance the issue with the Israeli government and IDF, and have begun examining potential locations in the Gaza envelope.