Trump's Gaza Board of Peace Awards First Construction Contract

According to The Guardian, the project involves constructing a military outpost measuring about 100 metres by 120 metres in southern Gaza. The facility is designed to accommodate around 150 Moroccan troops, who would rotate into the enclave from a base in Israel as part of a proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF). The outpost will reportedly be located within the 60 per cent of Gaza currently under direct Israeli military control, beyond which Israeli forces have also established a buffer zone.

The contract has reportedly been awarded to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based company that has previously carried out projects for the US government in Iraq. However, officials associated with the Board said the agreement is still in the final stages and has not yet been formally signed.

The reported contract reflects a significant scaling back of the Board's original reconstruction vision. In July, reports indicated that the initial plan to rebuild the entire Gaza Strip had been reduced to a limited pilot project in the southern part of the enclave.

The Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump and led by a team that includes Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, is working with the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to prepare several contracts aimed at supporting future security and governance arrangements.

The development comes amid continued tensions, with Israel opposing the broader roadmap and military operations in Gaza continuing despite Trump's claim that Hamas had agreed to disarm.