Israel bars US contractor from Gaza, blocking base for Moroccan and Kosovan troops

What Happened

Israel is blocking US-based contractor Arkel International from entering Gaza to build a military base for the Board of Peace, The Guardian reported. The contract, awarded in August, tasked Arkel with constructing a 100m x 100m mission support site temporary outpost with earth barriers to house rotating deployments of about 150 troops drawn from a 500-person contingent from Morocco and Kosovo. Two months later, Israel still refuses to open the border or allow construction to begin; a person familiar with the matter told The Guardian, "Israel won’t open the border." The article also cites UN figures that Israeli attacks killed almost one child every day since the 10 October 2025 ceasefire, and states cumulative Gaza casualties of more than 74,377 killed and 175,398 wounded.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The standoff reveals that Israel, not the US-led Board of Peace, controls access to Gaza and the feasibility of the international stabilisation force. It also undercuts the viability of the Morocco-Kosovo deployment and signals that Israeli government priorities—described by the article as making life unbearable for Palestinians to facilitate Jewish-only settlements, with advocacy by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir—continue to drive decisions on the ground.

Watch For

Whether Israel eventually permits Arkel International or any contractor to enter Gaza; whether Morocco and Kosovo proceed with troop deployments; any Board of Peace response or renegotiation of the stabilisation force mandate; and continued casualty reporting and ceasefire adherence given the article's claim of over 1,488 Palestinians killed since the 10 October 2025 ceasefire.