Israel blocks Trump’s Gaza peace plan by delaying key military outpost
Israel is refusing to allow construction of a key military outpost in Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative, delaying plans to deploy an international stabilisation force, The Guardian reported.
In early August, the Board of Peace awarded its first construction contract for Gaza to Louisiana-based Arkel International to build an outpost for 150 international troops.
However, two months later, Israel had still not allowed contractors and trucks to enter Gaza to begin construction, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The proposed outpost would serve as a base for international troops tasked with supporting stabilisation efforts in the territory.
The site, measuring approximately 100 metres by 100 metres, was previously part of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation project, which operated from May to October 2025 to deliver aid with the support of private contractors.
The planned deployment would involve 150 troops rotating through the facility.
They would form part of a larger contingent of 500 personnel already sent from Morocco and Kosovo, the source said.
The person added that the delay was preventing other parts of the Board of Peace programme from moving forward, including reconstruction, the delivery of construction equipment and the installation of basic utilities and support facilities.
According to the source, the Board of Peace believes Israel may allow the project to proceed after the country’s elections, scheduled for October 27.
A spokesperson for the Board of Peace declined to comment, while the Israeli military and government also did not respond to requests for comment, the report said.
The Board of Peace was established following an October 2025 ceasefire in Gaza and is central to Trump’s efforts to present the conflict as resolved.
Trump chairs the organisation, whose executive board includes his son-in-law Jared Kushner and US envoy Steve Witkoff.
On September 23, the organisation announced a six-month reconstruction plan worth $2.45 billion as an initial phase of a wider programme estimated to cost $71 billion over 10 years.
Despite the ceasefire, Israeli strikes have continued in Gaza. Gaza health authorities estimate that around 1,400 people have been killed since the October ceasefire.