The Donald Trump administration is considering creating a military base at Gaza, with a capacity of 5,000 people and an area of more than 350 acres, according to Peace Council figures cited by the Guardian.
The facility is intended to serve as an operational base for a future International Stabilization Force (ISF), which is envisioned as a multinational military formation consisting of countries that have committed troops. The ISF is part of the newly created Peace Council, an organisation intended to take over the governance of Gaza. It is headed by Donald Trump, with his son-in-law Jared Kushner also participating in the administration.
Plans call for the phased construction of a military outpost. Around the perimeter will be 26 armored surveillance towers on trailer-mounted bases, and will include a light weapons range, bunkers and a military equipment depot. The entire base will be fenced with barbed wire.
The site is reportedly located on land in southern Gaza, with low vegetation. According to the report, a small number of international construction companies with experience in war zones have already visited the site.
The Indonesian government has reportedly proposed sending up to 8,000 troops. The country’s president was among four Southeast Asian leaders scheduled to attend an inaugural meeting of the Peace Council in Washington.
The UN Security Council has approved the establishment of an interim International Stabilization Force in Gaza, tasked with securing the border and maintaining order in the region. According to the UN, the ISF will also be tasked with protecting civilians and training and supporting “Palestinian police forces.”
It remains unclear what the framework of rules for the force’s involvement in the event of hostilities, new Israeli bombing or Hamas attacks, and its role in the event of Hamas’ eventual disarmament, a condition Israel has set for the start of Gaza reconstruction.
More than 20 countries have joined as members of the Peace Council, but several states have not. Although the organization was established with UN approval, its charter reportedly provides for permanent leadership and control by Donald Trump.
It is not clear who owns the land where the base is planned to be built, and much of southern Gaza is under Israeli control. The UN estimates that at least 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced during the war.
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