US troops began arriving in Israel on Saturday to join a multinational task force that will oversee the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to US media reports.
Citing two US officials, ABC News said around 200 American personnel are being deployed to set up a coordination center responsible for monitoring the ceasefire deal. The team will operate in fields such as logistics, security, transportation, planning, and engineering.
The US forces will remain in Israel and will not enter Gaza, the report added. Their mission will be conducted under the command of US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Bradley Cooper, working alongside units and contingents from regional countries participating in the task force.
Trump’s 20-point plan
The deployment follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan he proposed on September 29 to halt genocidal war on Gaza.
Under the deal, Hamas will release all remaining Israeli captives in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, while Israel will gradually withdraw its forces from the enclave.
A second phase envisions the creation of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the establishment of a joint Palestinian-Muslim security force, and the eventual disarmament of Hamas.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left Gaza virtually uninhabitable.
