Satellite Images Reveal Likely Site of First International Base Inside Gaza

In the first construction step linked to the deployment of an international force inside Gaza, The Guardian reported that the Board of Peace had selected U.S. company Arkel International to build a small military base in the Strip to host a Moroccan unit as part of the planned international stabilization force. The disclosure comes amid understandings between Hamas and the Board of Peace’s high representative, Nikolay Mladenov, regarding the issue of resistance group weapons and an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.

The project remains in the planning stage. A Board of Peace official confirmed in an email seen by the newspaper that the proposed contracts had not yet received final approval. Meanwhile, a source familiar with the matter said Arkel International, which specializes in construction and logistics services in high-risk environments, had been selected to carry out the project.

According to the initial plan, the base would be established inside the “Yellow Line,” in an area under the direct control of the Israeli military and approximately one mile from the border. The planned site would measure about 100 by 120 meters and would accommodate a Moroccan unit of 150 troops as part of a short-term deployment of the international stabilization force.

In this report, Misbar’s team at Al-Araby TV tracks the likely location of the base by analyzing satellite imagery and footage from the area. It also examines Arkel International’s corporate record and its previous links to the U.S. military and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, shedding light on the military and logistical infrastructure being prepared for the deployment of the international force inside the Strip.

Likely Base Location

The Guardian reported that the planned base would be located inside the Gaza Strip, approximately one mile from the Israeli border, and would include an “expedited evacuation route” that could be used if the force stationed there came under attack.

The initial design includes vehicle combat positions and a defensive earthen berm surrounding the site, along with basic facilities suitable for a short-term deployment. The first phase is expected to focus on preparing the site to accommodate the Moroccan unit by setting up tents and providing beds for soldiers, chemical toilets and hand-washing stations, making the base suitable for temporary accommodation.

In an attempt to identify the potential location of the base, Misbar’s team tracked indications of earthmoving operations and the construction of a new military site inside the “Yellow Line,” documented by activists from Gaza in the Juhor al-Dik area. These indications correspond with a previous analysis published in June by Israeli open-source intelligence analyst Or Fialkov, who suggested that the facility under construction could be a base for the international force inside the Strip.

The site under observation is located in Juhor al-Dik, near the Netzarim Corridor. It appears to be situated on relatively elevated ground, giving it a wider field of view and an advantage in monitoring the surrounding area.

Analysis of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery captured on August 7 shows an expansion of construction activity at the site over the preceding two months.

Satellite imagery also places the beginning of the site preparation before May 16, when land-leveling operations and roads surrounding the site became visible. Imagery from July 25 subsequently showed portions of the site being paved.

According to The Guardian, Moroccan units would rotate through Gaza after deploying from a base located in Israel. The timeframe of the activity observed in Juhor al-Dik coincides with the construction of another base for international forces near the Kerem Shalom crossing, outside the Gaza Strip.

Satellite imagery shows four Israeli military bases surrounding the site under observation, while the road leading to it passes through one of these bases. This further indicates that the facility is located within an area under Israeli military control.

Arkel International’s Extensive Links to Gaza and Israel

The Guardian reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that the contract, which is still awaiting final approval, was awarded to U.S.-based Arkel International, which has previously provided construction and logistics services in Gaza for the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Arkel International operates in infrastructure, technical services, energy, construction and logistics, as well as the construction and operation of camps and bases in remote or high-risk environments. On its LinkedIn account, the company describes itself as specializing in helping organizations, governments and militaries operate in “the most remote and rugged locations in the world.”

Arkel International registered with Israel’s Companies Registrar on May 13, 2025, as a “foreign private company” under registration number 560041790. The registration took place approximately one week before the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating its aid distribution centers. However, the temporal proximity between the two events does not, by itself, establish that the company’s registration in Israel was solely connected to its work with the foundation.

Israeli company registration documents list Israeli businessman Hazi Bezalel as the company’s authorized representative in the country. Bezalel previously founded a cellular telecommunications company in Israel and has worked in investment and brokerage involving defense projects in Africa. He also serves as Rwanda’s honorary consul in Israel. A Haaretz report described him as a weapons broker known for deals on the African continent.

Arkel served as a logistics contractor for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and was responsible for recruiting truck drivers used to transport aid. According to a Haaretz investigation, the company recruited drivers from Serbia and Georgia to drive trucks from the Kerem Shalom crossing to the foundation’s four distribution centers in central and southern Gaza.

Arkel also has an extensive record of contracting with the U.S. military and Department of Defense, particularly through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to build facilities and infrastructure at remote military sites.

Among its major projects is a $16.64 million contract to repair Building 803, a vehicle maintenance workshop at the U.S. Army garrison on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The contract began in March 2018 and continued through January 2026.

In 2024, the company was selected among five entities eligible to compete for task orders under a multiple-award contract with a combined maximum value of $495 million for design and construction work on Kwajalein and surrounding islands through September 2029. This figure does not represent a guaranteed contract for Arkel but rather the total ceiling for task orders competed for among the selected companies.

In December 2025, Arkel was among five companies eligible to compete for subcontracts under a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracting vehicle, designated W912ER-26-D-A005. Potential work includes repairing, modifying, constructing and maintaining facilities; demolishing structures; developing infrastructure; and building and improving airfields in Israel in support of U.S. foreign military financing programs.

The combined ceiling for the contracting vehicle is $900 million through Dec. 10, 2032, but this does not represent an amount awarded individually to Arkel or any other company.

The company says it has previously constructed more than 45 prefabricated buildings for the U.S. Marine Corps, in addition to carrying out operations and maintenance projects for government forces in Iraq.

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