Israel Reportedly Blocks Gaza Peace Council Base Construction

Israel is reportedly preventing the construction of a military base in the Gaza Strip intended for the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which would operate under the auspices of the Gaza Peace Council. According to a report in the British newspaper The Guardian, the Gaza Peace Council issued its first construction contract in August to an American company, Arkel International, for the base designed to house approximately 150 soldiers from various nations.

Sources familiar with the matter told The Guardian that Israel is obstructing the project, with contractors and trucks being denied entry permits. "Israel is not opening the border," one source stated. The planned base is described as a fortified position, about 100 by 100 meters, located on a site previously used by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF).

The 150 soldiers are part of a larger contingent of over 500 already dispatched from Morocco and Kosovo. Without the base, the source explained, the broader rehabilitation plan cannot proceed, as there would be no security, no construction material shipments, and no ability to establish infrastructure or basic facilities.

Officials within the Gaza Peace Council apparently believe Israel will permit the project to move forward after the elections scheduled for October 27. This suggests that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which had previously approved the council's entry into Gaza in July, may be concerned about the political implications of initiating rehabilitation efforts before the elections.

The plan, approved by the Political-Security Cabinet, includes the establishment of temporary housing for Gaza residents in Rafah. Individuals seeking to reside in these areas will undergo strict vetting to ensure they have no ties to Hamas. This area is intended to be the first managed by the Palestinian Technocratic Government (NCAG) with the support of the ISF.