GAZA — The Board of Peace has issued a construction contract for a military outpost in Gaza. The project is to build a 150-person military outpost intended to house Moroccan troops.

US President Donald Trump chairs the Board of Peace, an international organization named in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 as a body tasked with overseeing the processes of the Gaza peace plan. The board was established in January to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza.

The contract was awarded to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based firm. Arkel International is an American privately held construction firm based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The company has previously carried out work with the US government in countries such as Iraq.

The planned base measures 100 metres by 120 metres. It would be located approximately one mile from the Israeli border. The base would be located within the 60% of Gaza’s territory that the Israeli army directly controls. Israeli forces have created a buffer zone beyond the area of Gaza they directly control.

The base would have a "quick extraction route" in case the force came under attack. The Moroccan troops would rotate from a base in Israel.

The contract has not yet been finalised. A Board of Peace official stated in an email that the board and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza are in the final stages of preparing several contract awards. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is a group of Palestinian technocrats installed to oversee Gaza.

"None have been finalised," the official said. The official added that "one prospective contract concerns facilities to support the international stabilisation force (ISF), which will assist in implementing the roadmap’s security and governance arrangements." The official also stated that "this contract will be one of many that are essential for the future of Gaza."

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are members of the Board of Peace leadership team. A UN resolution authorising the Board of Peace approved establishing an international stabilisation force for Gaza. According to turkiyetoday.com, reports on which countries would contribute troops have varied. Morocco has promised a small contingent of troops for the international stabilisation force.

The legal framework for the International Stabilisation Force has not yet been finalised. Earlier contract plans described the 150-person base as the first phase of a plan to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza for the International Stabilisation Force. The larger base plan included vehicle fighting positions and a perimeter berm.

The earlier contract stated the first phase would consist of tents and cots for forces to sleep, as well as chemical toilets and handwashing stations. "At this phase, this is what we would consider habitable," the statement read.

The issuance of this contract represents a concrete step in the implementation of the Gaza peace plan overseen by the Board of Peace. The involvement of a US-based firm and the positioning of Moroccan troops indicates the international nature of the stabilization effort authorized by the UN resolution. The fact that the contract is not yet finalised and the legal framework for the force remains incomplete indicates that the operational details of the international stabilisation force are still being determined. The scale of the project, described as a first phase toward a 5,000-person base, suggests a long-term commitment to security infrastructure in the region.

Why It Matters

This contract represents the first phase of a planned 5,000-person base intended to support the international stabilisation force authorized by UN resolution. The involvement of a US-based firm and Moroccan troops shows the international nature of the security arrangements outlined in the Gaza peace plan roadmap. However, the unfinalised legal framework and contract status indicate that operational details for these governance and security structures remain undetermined.