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 within 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 undertaken work for the U.S. Government in Iraq and other countries.

A Board of Peace official stated 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," Though none had 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, adding that "This contract will be one of many that are essential for the future of Gaza."

The planned outpost would span 100 by 120 meters and house Moroccan soldiers rotating from a base inside Israel. It would be situated in an Israeli-controlled section of Gaza approximately 1.6 kilometers from the Israeli border and would include a "quick extraction route" For evacuation if attacked.

A United Nations resolution authorizing the Board of Peace also approved establishing 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 documents described the 150-person outpost as the first stage of a larger military base intended to accommodate 5,000 international force members, featuring vehicle fighting positions, defensive perimeters and basic facilities. The initial phase would include "tents and cots for forces to sleep, as well as chemical toilets and handwashing stations," With plans noting "At this phase, this is what we would consider habitable."

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

The military outpost represents both the Board of Peace's first prospective construction contract in Gaza and an early indicator of whether its larger security and reconstruction plans can advance beyond planning.