The United States is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help monitor and support the Gaza ceasefire deal, officials said Thursday. The mission will be part of a wider team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organisations, and private sector participants.According to officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet authorised for release, US Central Command will establish a “civil-military coordination center” in Israel. The center will facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and coordinate logistical and security assistance for Gaza, which has been devastated by two years of war.
The coordination center will include around 200 US service members with expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics, and engineering, one official said. The official emphasised that no American troops will be sent into Gaza.A second official said the troops will come from US Central Command and other global locations. Some personnel have already begun arriving and will continue to travel to the region over the weekend to begin planning and setting up the new center.The announcement provides some of the first details on how the ceasefire deal will be monitored and outlines the US military’s role in that effort. After Israel and Hamas agreed this week to the first phase of a Trump administration plan to end the fighting, questions remain about Hamas disarmament, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the establishment of a future civilian government in Gaza.One of the officials said the new team will help oversee implementation of the ceasefire agreement and support the transition to a civilian government in the territory, reported AP.
