US Plans Sprawling Base For 5,000 International Troops In Southern Gaza

“The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly,” Trump claimed in Thursday remarks during the inaugural meeting of the panel in Washington.

He said this in response to some allies – which are not participating – recently complaining that post-Gaza war reconstruction should be directly under UN auspices, and not a US-overseen board based on paying membership (the one billion dollar buy-in fee).

Apart from that controversy, the biggest Board of Peace development is being reported in The Guardian, which says Trump is advancing plans for a major US military installation inside the Gaza Strip, envisioned as the “military operating base” for future international forces.

While unconfirmed, the report outlines “the phased construction of a military outpost that will eventually have a footprint of 1,400 meters by 1,100 meters, ringed by 26 trailer-mounted armored watch towers, a small arms range, bunkers, and a warehouse for military equipment for operations” – with the entire compound enclosed by barbed wire. It would reportedly house 5,000 personnel. 

The proposed site is to be located in southern Gaza, according to more: “A small group of bidders – international construction companies with experience in war zones – have already been shown the area in a site visit.”

The report indicates the contracting document was issued by the Trump-led board, but hasn’t been made public:

“The Contractor shall conduct a geophysical survey of the site to identify any subterranean voids, tunnels, or large cavities per phase,” the ‘Board of Peace’ document states. “If suspected human remains or cultural artifacts are discovered, all work in the immediate area must cease immediately, the area must be secured, and the Contracting Officer must be notified immediately for direction.”

Likely, thousands of bodies are still buried underneath the rubble, given also the Israeli officials recently admitted at least 70,000 Palestinians were killed in the two year long war – though Israel maintains that some one-third of these deaths were armed Hamas militants.

The question of a US-backed military base in the Gaza Strip is sure to unleash immense controversy among Palestinians and Arab leaders more broadly.

Some interesting scenes on Thursday…

Trump’s “Board of Peace” meets in DC, with Trump telling people to smile as Guns N’ Roses plays in the background. It’s bizarre. pic.twitter.com/dqq6vQbmLa

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) February 19, 2026

The White House has frequently vowed there would be no US boots on the ground in Gaza, but such a military base would certainly open that up as a likely possibility.

While Washington has long argued that the Board of Peace will ensure other countries are (and not the US) shouldering the burden of Gaza’s future, there would be a very high chance of at least American military advisers being present at such a future ‘international base’.