The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to construct a large-scale military installation in Gaza designed to accommodate up to 5,000 personnel across more than 350 acres, according to contracting documents from the Board of Peace reviewed by the Guardian.

The proposed facility would serve as an operational headquarters for a planned International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational force made up of pledged foreign troops. The ISF falls under the authority of the newly formed Board of Peace, an entity created to oversee governance in Gaza. The Board of Peace is chaired by President Donald Trump and is led in part by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Documents examined by the Guardian outline a phased development plan for the base, which at full scale would span approximately 1,400 meters by 1,100 meters. The compound would be secured by 26 trailer-mounted armored watchtowers and would include a small arms firing range, protective bunkers, equipment storage facilities, and other operational infrastructure. Barbed wire fencing is planned to surround the entire installation.

The selected site lies in a dry, open expanse in southern Gaza characterized by saltbush and white broom vegetation, as well as debris from years of Israeli airstrikes. The Guardian reported reviewing video footage of the area. According to a source familiar with the project, a limited number of international construction firms with experience operating in conflict zones have already toured the proposed location.

Indonesia has reportedly offered to contribute up to 8,000 troops to the stabilization force. The country’s president was scheduled to join three other Southeast Asian leaders at an inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday.

The United Nations Security Council authorized the Board of Peace to establish the temporary International Stabilization Force. According to the UN mandate, the ISF would be responsible for securing Gaza’s borders, maintaining order, safeguarding civilians, and training and assisting “vetted Palestinian police forces.”

However, key operational questions remain unresolved. It is unclear how the ISF would respond in the event of renewed fighting, Israeli airstrikes, or attacks by Hamas. The force’s potential involvement in disarming Hamas — a condition Israel has set for advancing reconstruction efforts — has also not been defined.

Although more than 20 nations have joined the Board of Peace, many countries have declined to participate. While the body was established with UN backing, its governing charter appears to grant President Trump ongoing leadership and authority.

“The Board of Peace is a kind of legal fiction, nominally with its own international legal personality separate from both the UN and the United States, but in reality it’s just an empty shell for the United States to use as it sees fit,” said Adil Haque, a professor of law at Rutgers University.

Analysts have raised concerns about the transparency of the initiative’s funding and management structure. Several contractors told the Guardian that communications with U.S. officials have frequently taken place via Signal messaging rather than through formal government email systems.

According to an individual familiar with the matter, the military base contracting document was issued by the Board of Peace and drafted with assistance from U.S. procurement officials.

The construction plans specify the creation of multiple reinforced bunkers measuring six meters by four meters and standing 2.5 meters tall, equipped with advanced ventilation systems to provide protection for personnel.

“The Contractor,” says the document, “shall conduct a geophysical survey of the site to identify any subterranean voids, tunnels, or large cavities per phase.” The provision appears to reference the extensive underground tunnel network built by Hamas in Gaza.

Another section outlines a “Human Remains Protocol.” “If suspected human remains or cultural artifacts are discovered, all work in the immediate area must cease immediately, the area must be secured, and the Contracting Officer must be notified immediately for direction,” it says. Gaza’s civil defense agency has estimated that roughly 10,000 Palestinian bodies remain buried beneath rubble across the territory.

Ownership of the land designated for the base has not been clarified, though much of southern Gaza is presently under Israeli control. The United Nations estimates that at least 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced since the start of the war.

Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian attorney and former peace negotiator, criticized the initiative, saying the construction of a foreign military installation on Palestinian land without formal authorization constitutes occupation. “Whose permission did they get to build that military base?”

Officials at U.S. Central Command directed all inquiries about the base to the Board of Peace.

A Trump administration official declined to comment on the reported contract details, stating: “As the President has said, no US boots will be on the ground. We’re not going to discuss leaked documents.”