“The U.S. military is exploring the possibility of building a temporary base capable of housing 10,000 people near the Gaza Strip as part of its efforts to create a stabilization force from other countries to monitor compliance with the truce between Israel and Hamas.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: Bloomberg
Details: The Navy is requesting estimates from a list of pre-selected companies for a “temporary, self-sustaining military operating base capable of housing 10,000 personnel and providing 10,000 square feet of office space for a 12-month period,” according to a request for information sent to the relevant contractors and seen by Bloomberg.
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In the request for information, the potential location is identified as “near Gaza, Israel”.
The US is seeking international support for a proposal to send foreign troops to Gaza to help secure a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas that was signed last month. Dubbed the International Stabilization Force (ISF), these forces will work with Israel and Egypt to secure the area and rebuild after more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas.
“…the U.S. military is currently working with international military partners to develop potential options for the deployment of international forces” that would be part of the force, according to U.S. Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins.
“To be clear, American troops will not be deployed in Gaza,” Hawkins added.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the request was the first phase of planning for a potential base for stabilization forces in southern Israel. The US has already deployed additional forces to the region after US President Donald Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement, including a command center with 200 US troops and international partners in southern Israel.
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt said the White House had not yet approved such a move, calling the document “a separate piece of paper put together by random people in the military.”
Requests for information are not a formal solicitation and do not guarantee a future contract, although they provide an idea of what federal agencies hope to receive from private companies. Among the requirements detailed in the contract is a “comprehensive security plan that includes procedures for access control, threat response, incident and mass casualty reporting.”
According to Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center for Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, organizing the logistics of the operation to disarm Hamas requires a large base nearby, separate from the Israeli base.
“These considerations may explain the existence of this request for information and the size of the alleged base,” Bowman said.
Asked about the prospects for the construction of a large American base, Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said he had no specific information. Israel relies on U.S. military aid and equipment, but rarely allows U.S. military bases on its territory, and so far these bases have been small.
“We are working together with the Americans and various partners on the future of Gaza,” Shoshani said. “We are considering various ideas.”
A non-profit information organization in Israel previously reported that the US plans to establish a large base in the Gaza Strip to monitor compliance with the truce. She cited Israeli officials familiar with the preliminary plans.
The request states that the contractor will “provide a complete off-the-shelf solution,” meaning that it will take over all aspects of building and managing the base. The request goes on to detail that the contractor must provide three meals a day for all 10,000 people, as well as take care of water supply and waste disposal, power supply, laundry facilities, a reliable communications network and a medical clinic.
Companies eligible for the contract participate in a contracting process called WEXMAC (Worldwide Expeditionary Multiple Award Contract), which is managed by the US Navy’s Supply Systems Command. This contracting mechanism is typically used for international military work, but has been repurposed to meet the Trump administration’s needs to increase immigration holding space.
Bloomberg recalls that the same process was used to award a $1.26 billion contract in July to build a 5,000-bed tented camp at a military base in El Paso.
What preceded: The Trump administration is making efforts to preserve the agreement on the Gaza Strip, which has been threatened by Israel’s shelling of Hamas positions.
In early October, the US sent several members of the UN Security Council a draft resolution on the creation of an international force in Gaza for at least two years, which would give the US and other participating countries broad powers to manage Gaza.