Senior U.S. official: “No intention to deploy U.S. troops in Gaza”

Senior American officials reported on Thursday that Washington will send a team of 200 U.S. military personnel to the Middle East to “oversee” the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza reached between Israel and Hamas under the auspices of President Donald Trump.

A senior official told reporters that Admiral Brad Cooper, the new commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), “will initially have 200 people on the ground,” without specifying the exact location.

However, a second senior U.S. official confirmed that “there is no intention to deploy U.S. troops in Gaza.”

The first official explained that the role of these troops “will be to supervise, monitor, and ensure there are no violations.” He added, “Their primary mission will be oversight.”

He also noted that military officials from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and possibly the UAE will join the team, emphasizing that “the idea is for the team to be collective. Obviously, the Israelis will be in constant contact” with this team.

The U.S. official considered that “involving Admiral Cooper has given Israel a lot of confidence and security, and in this way, a message was sent to Hamas that we are taking a very strong role, or that the President is taking a very strong stance in supporting his guarantees and commitments.”

According to the second official, the goal is to form an “international stabilization force,” supported by the U.S. military.

This official explained that the purpose of having U.S. military personnel is “to help establish a joint control center and then integrate the other security forces that will enter there to avoid any friction with the Israeli army.”

He pointed out that after the Israeli government approves the ceasefire agreement, which happened early Friday, a “72-hour” period begins during which the Israeli army withdraws to pre-agreed positions, and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees and prisoners takes place.