Exclusive: The United States Plans to Establish a Large Military Base on the Gaza Border
By Uri Blau, Milan Czerny
US plans a $500 million base near Gaza border, Israeli sources say. According to Israeli officials, the planned US base would house several thousand troops tasked with maintaining the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas; the move signals Washington’s determination to deepen its involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This investigation is co-published with Yedioth Ahronoth.
The United States is planning to build a large military base in Israel’s Gaza border region. Israeli officials familiar with the preliminary plans said the facility would be used by US and international forces operating in Gaza to help maintain the cease-fire and could accommodate several thousand soldiers.
It is estimated that the project may cost roughly $500 million, according to sources. In recent weeks, U.S. officials have advanced the proposal in discussions with the Israeli government and the IDF and have begun considering potential sites in the Gaza border area.
Security sources told Shomrim that the move represents a major shift in U.S. engagement. “It’s hard to overstate the significance of building such a base,” one official said. “Since the Six-Day War, Israel has sought to minimize international involvement in the territories. The establishment of an American base on Israeli soil shows just how determined Washington is to be involved in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
The investment could also spark political debate in the United States. Many members of the Republican Party oppose expanding America’s overseas military footprint, especially amid domestic budget pressures and voter fatigue with foreign interventions.
Until now, U.S. military presence in Israel has been limited. Following the signing of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, about 200 U.S. troops were deployed to Israel to operate from the U.S. Central Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat. During the war with Iran, the U.S. also deployed two THAAD missile defense batteries, which played a role in intercepting Iranian missile attacks.
The planned base would mark a significant expansion of U.S. activity in Israel and comes amid moves that have already curtailed Israel’s operational autonomy in Gaza. According to sources familiar with the matter, CMCC in Kiryat Gat is expected to take full control of humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza, relegating Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) to a marginal role.
That transition was first reported by The Washington Post earlier last week, which noted that the move relegates Israel to a secondary role in determining how and what humanitarian relief can enter Gaza as CMCC takes the lead.
US Vice President J.D. Vance during his visit to the US command center in Kiryat Gat, October 2025.
“The CMCC in Kiryat Gat are going to be responsible for most of the activities in Gaza. And Israel’s status or position as the dominant player in Gaza is going to change,” Dr. Michael Milshtein, a senior researcher at Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center and former head of the Department for Palestinians Affairs in IDF Military Intelligence, said to Shomrim.
Shomrim reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Israel for comment. The embassy referred the inquiry to the U.S. Department of Defense, which in turn directed questions to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). As of publication, CENTCOM had not responded.
