Israel is blocking construction of a military outpost in the Gaza Strip intended to serve as a base for an international stabilization force operating under U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, The Guardian reported Wednesday, citing a person with direct knowledge of the project.
According to the British newspaper, the Board of Peace awarded its first Gaza construction contract in early August to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based company tasked with building a fortified compound for approximately 150 international troops.
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The reconstruction pilot is set to begin in Rafah. Destruction in Gaza
(Photo: Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
More than two months later, construction has yet to begin because Israel has not authorized contractors or construction vehicles to enter the territory, the source said.
"Israel won't open the border," the source told The Guardian.
The newspaper said a Board of Peace spokesperson declined to comment, while the Israeli government and IDF did not respond to requests for comment.
A military base holding up Gaza reconstruction
The proposed compound would measure approximately 100 by 100 meters and be built on a site formerly used by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the now-defunct aid distribution operation that delivered humanitarian supplies through private contractors.
The facility is intended to accommodate rotating deployments of 150 armed international troops, drawn from a larger contingent of approximately 500 personnel dispatched from Morocco and Kosovo, according to the report.
Trump surrounded by members of the Board of Peace
(Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
The troops would form part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational security mission planned to operate in Gaza under the Board of Peace.
But the source warned that the absence of the military base is preventing the broader reconstruction program from moving forward.
Without the stabilization force on the ground, there would be no security arrangements to enable construction crews to enter, deliver equipment, install utilities or establish basic infrastructure, the source explained.
The delay therefore threatens far more than the construction of a single military facility. It could prevent the launch of the initial reconstruction projects planned for southern Gaza.
Is Israel's election behind the delay?
The source told The Guardian that officials involved in the Board of Peace believe Israel will allow construction to proceed after the country's October 27 election.
That assessment raises questions about whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is reluctant to permit the start of Gaza reconstruction during the election campaign.
However, the report did not establish that electoral considerations were the reason Israeli authorities had withheld the necessary approvals.
The delay comes despite Israel having already approved the Board of Peace's entry into Gaza and the launch of a limited reconstruction initiative.
In July, Israel's security cabinet approved a pilot program to restore basic services in the territory, with the first stage expected to take place in Rafah, in southern Gaza.
The initiative is intended to lay the groundwork for a broader international effort to stabilize the territory and begin rebuilding infrastructure damaged during the war.
Countries expected to contribute troops to the stabilization force include Uganda, Morocco, Kosovo and Kazakhstan. Discussions have also been held with Albania, Vietnam and Georgia about possible participation.
Temporary housing and a Palestinian administration
Beyond the military outpost, the reconstruction initiative calls for temporary housing facilities in Rafah to accommodate Palestinian residents.
Under the reported plans, Palestinians seeking to move into the designated areas would undergo extensive security screening intended to prevent individuals affiliated with Hamas or connected to the terrorist organization from entering.
The pilot area would be the first in Gaza administered by the Palestinian technocratic body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
The committee would operate with the backing of the international stabilization force, which is intended to provide security for the reconstruction effort and support the establishment of civilian administration.
The arrangements form part of Trump's broader postwar framework for Gaza, which places the Board of Peace at the center of efforts to stabilize and reconstruct the territory.
For now, however, the plan remains dependent on Israeli authorization to move the first contractors and equipment into Gaza.
According to the source cited by The Guardian, officials involved in the initiative expect that approval may come only after Israelis go to the polls on October 27, leaving the first phase of the reconstruction effort on hold.