The United States is sending about 200 military personnel to Israel to help support and monitor the implementation of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, US officials said on Thursday.
The force is part of a joint effort involving partner countries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector players, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose official details.
They said US Central Command would establish a civil-military coordination center in Israel to facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical and security assistance to the two-year-old war-torn region.
The statement also provided an early look at how the ceasefire agreement would be monitored, including the role the US military would play in ensuring its implementation.
After Israel and Hamas agreed this week to begin the first phase of the Trump administration's plan to end the fighting, questions remain about the next steps, such as the process of disarming Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the formation of a new government in the territory.
One official explained that the new force would help monitor the implementation of the agreement and the transition to civilian rule in Gaza.
The coordination center would be staffed by about 200 US military personnel with expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering. The official stressed that no American troops would be sent into the Gaza Strip.
Another official said that the troops would come from US Central Command and other parts of the world.
The troops have reportedly begun arriving in Israel and are expected to travel to the region this weekend to begin planning and setting up the coordination center.
