Israel News
US Plans $500 Million Base Near Gaza Border to Enforce Ceasefire
Israeli sources say facility for international forces would mark major shift in Israel’s long-held policy against foreign military presence
US military base in Kiryat Ga (Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/POOL)
The United States plans to build a large military base in Israel’s Gaza border region, Israeli officials familiar with the project told Shomrim. The base, budgeted at roughly $500 million, would house several thousand soldiers from international forces tasked with maintaining the cease-fire in Gaza.
According to the report, American officials have been advancing the plan with the Israeli government and the IDF over recent weeks and have already begun examining potential sites along the Gaza perimeter.
Security officials speaking with Shomrim described the move as highly significant, noting that since the 1967 Six Day War, Israel has worked to limit international military involvement in territories under its control. The establishment of a U.S. base on Israeli soil, they said, shows how determined the U.S. is to play a direct role in the aftermath of the war in Gaza. The report added that the plan could carry domestic political consequences in the United States, where many Republican lawmakers oppose expanding America’s overseas military presence.
Until now, the U.S. military involvement in Israel has been limited. After the ceasefire was signed, about 200 U.S. troops were deployed to the U.S. Central Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat. During the war, Washington also deployed a THAAD missile defense battery that helped intercept Iranian missile barrages targeting Israel.
In recent days, reports said the CMCC in Kiryat Gat is expected to assume full responsibility for coordinating humanitarian aid into Gaza, a role previously shared with Israel’s Coordination and Liaison Administration (COGAT), which is now expected to retain only a minor role. “The CMCC in Kiryat Gat is going to be responsible for most of the operations in Gaza, and Israel’s status as the main actor in the Strip is changing,” said Dr. Michael Milstein, a senior researcher at Tel Aviv University’s Dayan Center and former head of the IDF’s Palestinian Affairs Department.
