Gaza Board of Peace's first construction deal is for military base

The Board of Peace for Gaza has awarded its first construction contract, a provisional deal to build a military outpost for 150 Moroccan troops in the territory, according to a source familiar with the plans.

The contract, not yet finalized, went to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based company that has previously worked for the U.S. Government in Iraq and other countries.

A Board of Peace official said in an email that the organization and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the Palestinian technocratic body overseeing the territory, were "in the final stages of preparing several contract awards," But stressed that none had yet been completed.

"One prospective contract concerns facilities to support the international stabilization force, which will assist in implementing the roadmap's security and governance arrangements," The official said. "This contract will be one of many that are essential for the future of Gaza."

The planned outpost would measure 100 by 120 meters and house Moroccan soldiers rotating from a base inside Israel. It would be located in an Israeli-controlled section of Gaza about 1.6 kilometers from the Israeli border and would include a "quick extraction route" To evacuate the force if attacked.

A United Nations resolution authorizing the Board of Peace also approved establishment of an International Stabilization Force for Gaza. Morocco has pledged a contingent, though the ISF's legal framework remains unfinalized and deployment timing is unclear.

Earlier contracting plans described the 150-person outpost as the first stage of a much larger military base intended to accommodate 5,000 members of the international force, with vehicle fighting positions, defensive perimeter and facilities for short-term deployments. The first stage would include "tents and cots for forces to sleep, as well as chemical toilets and handwashing stations," Plans stated.

The proposal contrasts sharply with the Board of Peace's January presentation of a master plan for a "New Gaza" Featuring waterfront development and large-scale economic projects. The original territory-wide reconstruction plan was drastically reduced to a small pilot project in southern Gaza.