"U.S. to Build Major Military Base near Gaza strip to Support International Stabilization Force"

The United States is preparing to establish a large military base near the Gaza Strip, according to a report published by the investigative outlet Shomerim. Israeli officials familiar with the early planning say the base is intended to serve an international force that would operate in Gaza to oversee and maintain the ceasefire. The installation is expected to be capable of housing several thousand soldiers and is estimated to cost approximately $500 million.

U.S. officials have reportedly been in discussions with the Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces over recent weeks, and have already begun scouting potential locations for the base within the enclave.

“A Strategic Turning Point”

Security officials quoted in the report described the implications as significant. Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has consistently pushed to limit foreign military presence in territories under its control. The establishment of a permanent international military facility on land under Israeli security oversight, they said, signals deep U.S. commitment to a long-term role in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The move could also spark domestic political debate in the United States, where parts of the Republican Party have strongly opposed expanded overseas military deployments.

Current U.S. Military Presence Is Limited — and Changing

Until now, the American military footprint in Israel has remained relatively small. Following the ceasefire agreement, the U.S. deployed about 200 soldiers, who are currently stationed at the U.S. Command Center in Kiryat Gat (CMCC). During the recent conflict, the U.S. also deployed a THAAD missile defense battery that participated in intercepting incoming Iranian missiles.

The planned Gaza base appears to build on a broader shift: U.S. centralization of humanitarian aid distribution in the Strip. According to Israeli sources, the Kiryat Gat command center is expected to assume full operational authority over aid entry and distribution — with Israel’s role limited largely to coordination through COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories).

This change was first reported by The Washington Post and is seen in Israel as a significant reduction of Israeli leverage over aid flow, which had previously been used to pressure Hamas.

“Israel’s Role in Gaza Is Changing”

“The CMCC in Kiryat Gat is going to be responsible for most of the activity in Gaza, and Israel’s status as the main actor in the Strip is going to change,”
said Dr. Michael Milstein, a senior researcher at the Dayan Center and former head of Palestinian Affairs in Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate.

U.S. Response Pending

Shomerim requested comment from the U.S. Embassy in Israel, which referred the inquiry to the U.S. Department of Defense. The Pentagon then directed the request to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM has not yet responded.