Trump administration plans to build a 5,000-person military base over more than 350 acres in Gaza, according to the board’s contracting records.
The Guardian has revealed it on Thursday. This facility will support a proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) consisting of 20,000 soldiers across five sectors, starting with Rafah.
Major General Jasper Jeffers III, the officer appointed to lead the force, confirmed these deployment plans as part of a broader strategy by Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace.
The multinational force draws personnel from Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that his nation is ready to contribute 8,000 troops, “or more if necessary”.
Additionally, the board envisions a long-term police presence of 12,000 officers, with Egypt and Jordan expected to manage future training.
During an inaugural summit in Washington, Trump pledged $10 billion towards a Gaza reconstruction fund. He described this as a small price to “achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering and carnage.”
Other contributors include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, who will collectively provide $7 billion. UN and FIFA will contribute $2 billion and $75 million, respectively.
Trump expressed high confidence in the initiative, stating, “We’re going to straighten out Gaza, we’re going to make Gaza very successful and safe. And we’re also going to maybe take it a step further where if we see hotspots around the world, we can probably do that very easily. This is a tremendous group of powerful people.”
The reconstruction vision, led by Cypriot-Israeli billionaire Yakir Gabay, involves removing 70 million tonnes of rubble and unexploded ordnance to create a “new Mediterranean Riviera” featuring 200 hotels.
However, this ambitious plan depends entirely on the full disarmament of Hamas and the support of Israel.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the summit, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar noted that the plan is “the first plan to address the root of the problem” by focusing on the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip and the deradicalisation of Palestinian society.
Despite the grand designs, the board faces significant international and local hurdles. Major European allies, including the UK, France, and Germany, alongside the Vatican, have declined to participate, with some critics labelling the board a “shadow UN”.
On the ground, aid workers report that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza lacks clear direction, and the ISF’s local office remains empty. ISF’s specific rules of engagement remain undefined.
The summit took place amidst heightened regional tensions, with the US massing forces in the Middle East following strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump alluded to ongoing negotiations, stating, “Now we may have to take that a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
He concluded by emphasising the urgency of the situation: “Good talks are being had … It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise bad things will happen. We have to make a meaningful deal.”
