Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Live Updates: US is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire deal
The United States is sending around 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team that includes partner nations, non-governmental organisations and private-sector participants, US officials said on Thursday. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not authorised for release, said US Central Command will establish a “civil-military coordination centre” in Israel to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory affected by two years of war. The remarks offered some of the first details on how the ceasefire will be monitored and confirmed that the US military will play a role in the effort.
The coordination centre will be staffed by about 200 US service members with expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering, one official said, noting that no American troops will enter Gaza. A second official added that the troops will be drawn from US Central Command, which has personnel stationed across the Middle East and other regions. The officials said the soldiers have already begun arriving and will continue to travel to the area over the weekend to begin planning and establish the centre. Members of the armed forces from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are expected to join the team, integrating with the US personnel and coordinating with Israeli defence forces.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, praised Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, noting that he had worked alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Cooper, who joined the US side of talks in Egypt this week, helped reassure Arab countries that the US would guarantee its commitments, a reassurance relayed to Hamas.
(AP)