Israel is refusing to let the first construction project of Donald Trump's Board of Peace go ahead in Gaza, the Guardian reported on Wednesday, citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
In early August the board, which the UN authorized in 2025 and which Trump chairs, awarded Arkel International a contract to build an outpost for 150 international troops, meant to be the leading edge of an international stabilization force. Two months on, contractors and trucks are still not being allowed into Gaza to begin, according to the source. "Israel won't open the border," the person said.
Why the Base Matters
The planned site is basic: a fortified square roughly 100 meters on each side, on land once used by the now-defunct Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. It would host rotating deployments drawn from 500 troops already sent from Morocco and Kosovo, the Guardian reported.
According to the source, the rest of the board's program cannot launch without it. No stabilization force means no security, no construction equipment and no utilities, the person said. The board believes Israel will allow the work after the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27.
The Board of Peace, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli government all declined to comment.
A Peace Claim Built on Paper
The stall cuts against one of Trump's favorite talking points. He counts Gaza among eight wars he says he has resolved, and last week listed it again in a social media post complaining that he had not been given the Nobel peace prize. The board, created after the October 2025 ceasefire, is central to that claim.
Its structure is unusual. Trump is named chair for life, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner and developer Steve Witkoff sit on the executive board. Many western democracies have kept their distance, though 28 countries signed on as founding members this year. In September the board unveiled a six-month, $2.45 billion first phase toward a reconstruction it estimates at $71 billion over 10 years.
Meanwhile, Gaza health authorities say Israeli strikes have killed about 1,400 people since the ceasefire took hold, according to the Guardian.
Reporting sources: World news | The Guardian, “Israel blocks construction of key Gaza base created by Trump peace board”.