The United States is reportedly preparing to establish a large military base near the besieged Gaza Strip, under the pretext of “protecting the ceasefire” and coordinating international troops to be deployed in the area.

According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth and other regional sources, Washington has been holding intensive talks with the occupation regime to finalize the location and structure of the base, which is expected to host several thousand soldiers. The base is estimated to cost around $500 million and will serve as the main command center for international forces tasked with “maintaining stability” in Gaza.

Analysts have pointed out that the move marks a major shift in the U.S. role in the decades-long occupation, signaling Washington’s intent to be directly involved in post-war arrangements in the region. Since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, the United States has provided the occupation with full political, military, and logistical support.

Israeli security officials reportedly emphasized that the importance of the base “cannot be underestimated,” describing it as a strategic step that will reshape the balance of authority around Gaza. Meanwhile, critics noted that the plan contradicts Israel’s long-standing policy of preventing any international presence in occupied territories since 1967.

Reports indicate that the planned base will be connected to the existing Kiryat Gat command center, from which the United States already oversees humanitarian aid distribution and missile defense operations. Sources say the new command structure will likely limit the occupation army’s control over the entry of humanitarian aid and logistics.

Michael Milstein, a researcher at Tel Aviv University, stated that the establishment of the base would “fundamentally alter” the occupation’s central role in Gaza, as Washington seeks to manage field operations and aid coordination directly.

So far, neither the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv nor the Pentagon has issued an official statement regarding the project. However, experts believe this initiative is a continuation of Washington’s broader agenda to maintain a permanent presence in the region under the guise of humanitarian and security cooperation.

Observers note that the project follows the failure of the U.S.-built floating pier off Gaza’s coast in 2024, which collapsed several times due to harsh weather conditions — an episode that raised doubts about Washington’s capacity to sustain long-term infrastructure in the area.

The planned U.S. base, if completed, would mark the first permanent foreign military presence adjacent to Gaza in modern history — a move viewed by many Palestinians and regional actors as another layer of occupation dressed in “peacekeeping” rhetoric. (ILKHA)