Up to 200 American troops already based in the Middle East will be deployed to Israel to help oversee a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, U.S. officials said.
They said the U.S. military would create a multinational task force in Israel, known as a civil-military coordination center, likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
One senior official said US troops would not enter the Gaza Strip, adding that America's role was to create A joint command center that “integrates” incoming multinational forces.
The Israeli government has approved the first phase of the agreement with Gaza with Hamas, which led to a ceasefire and the release of hostages and prisoners.
The task force will be led by US Central Command (Centcom), based in the region, and is intended to monitor progress in implementing the ceasefire agreement, as well as help coordinate humanitarian assistance.
The multinational force will keep the Israelis and Hamas, via Egypt and Qatar, informed about the situation on the ground and any potential violations of the truce, one of the officials said.
The force is being created under the leadership of Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Centcom. He joined the US delegation for part of the indirect talks in Egypt earlier this week, one of the officials said.
Those talks led US President Donald Trump to announce on Thursday that Israel and Hamas had “signed phase one” of the agreement. peace plan he presented last week.
One of Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza included the United States working with Arab and international partners to create a temporary International Stabilization Force for immediate deployment to the Gaza Strip. but this has not yet been agreed upon between the parties and will only happen if the exchange of hostages and prisoners is completed.
Israel launched the Gaza War in response to Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage.
Since then, Israel's massive military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, including more than 20,100 children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. The UN and other international organizations consider these figures to be reliable.
