Israel Blocks Construction of Gaza Military Outpost for Trump’s Board of Peace
Israel is refusing to allow contractors to cross the border and begin construction on a key military outpost in Gaza for the Board of Peace, stalling the inaugural project of an international stabilization force, The Guardian reported.
Arkel International Contract Blocked at the Border
In early August, the Board of Peace awarded its first construction contract for Gaza to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based company, as reported by The Guardian. The agreement tasked the firm with building a temporary fortified mission support site measuring roughly 100 meters by 100 meters. The installation was designed to house a rotating force of 150 well-armed international troops.
These personnel were intended to serve as the vanguard of an international stabilization force, drawing from a larger contingent of 500 troops already dispatched from Morocco and Kosovo. The planned facility was slated for a site previously occupied by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operated from May 2025 until October 2025 to deliver aid under private contractor protection. Two months after the contract signing, however, construction vehicles and workers remain stranded outside the strip. “Israel won’t open the border,” a person with direct knowledge of the matter stated.
Reconstruction Tied to Security Force Deployment
Without this initial outpost, the broader Board of Peace initiative cannot launch. Establishing the stabilization force is a mandatory prerequisite for heavy logistics, utility installation, and infrastructure development.
“You can’t get in without an international stabilization force. You can’t rebuild,” the source explained to The Guardian. “There’s no security. There’s no deliveries of construction equipment. You can’t even start putting utilities. You can’t start putting in basic life-support facilities you know because without the ISF you can’t go in.”
The Board of Peace was established following the October 2025 ceasefire in Gaza, forming a central component of Donald Trump’s claims to have resolved the conflict. While many Western democracies have maintained distance from the organization, 28 countries joined as founding members earlier this year. On September 23, the group unveiled a six-month, $2.45 billion reconstruction plan as the initial phase of a 10-year redevelopment effort estimated to cost $71 billion.
Elections and Official Silence Ahead of October 27
Representatives for the Board of Peace, the Israeli government, and the Israel Defense Forces all declined to comment on the border block. Meanwhile, ongoing military strikes in Gaza have killed approximately 1,400 people since the October ceasefire, according to Gaza health authorities.
Despite the current deadlock, the Board of Peace anticipates that Israeli authorities may authorize the project to move forward following the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27.