The United States is advancing a plan to build a large military base in the Gaza envelope, the Shomrim news website reported, citing Israeli officials who were exposed to the plan.
According to the report, the base is intended to be used by the international forces who will operate in the Gaza Strip to enforce the ceasefire and is expected to house thousands of servicemembers.
The cost of construction is estimated at half a billion dollars, and the Americans have begun examining possible locations in the area for the base. The initiative is being advanced in cooperation with the Government of Israel and the IDF.
At the moment, the US military presence in Israel is relatively limited, consisting of 200 soldiers operating out of the US Central Command Civil Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat.
However, according to reports, the CMCC is expected to take full control of the humanitarian aid distribution system in Gaza, a process that was previously carried out under Israeli supervision.
The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories’ (COGAT) role is expected to be significantly limited.
