US Sends 200 Troops To Israel To Help And Monitor Ceasefire Deal In Gaza

US military illustration. (US Defense Department/Spc. Joshua Cowden)

JAKARTA - The United States sent about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as part of a team consisting of partner countries, non-governmental organizations and private sector players, US officials said Thursday.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss unallowed details for release, said the US Central Command (US CENTCOM) would establish a "civil-military coordination center" in Israel that would help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance to war-torn areas for two years, quoted from Arab News 10 October.

The statement provided some preliminary details on how the ceasefire deal would be monitored and how the US military would play a role in the effort.

After Israel and Hamas this week approved the first phase of Donald Trump's Presidency Administration's plan to stop fighting, there are still many questions regarding the next steps, including the removal of Hamas weapons, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and future governments in the region.

One official said the new team would help monitor the implementation of ceasefire and transition agreements towards civilian rule in Gaza.

The coordination center will be managed by about 200 US military personnel with expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering, the official said, noting no US troops will be sent to the Gaza Strip.

The second official said troops would come from the US CENTCOM as well as from various other parts of the world.

The official added that the troops had begun arriving and would continue to travel to the area over the weekend to begin planning and development efforts of the center.