US sending 200 troops to monitor Gaza ceasefire
Israel, Hamas agree to temporary Gaza ceasefire pause.
Washington: The United States is preparing to send about 200 troops to Israel to help “oversee” the recently announced Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, according to U.S. media reports.
Officials say the deployment is part of a multinational task force that will monitor the ceasefire and ensure that both sides adhere to the terms of the agreement. The decision comes just days after Donald Trump declared that the war in Gaza had “ended,” calling the truce a “major step toward lasting peace.”
A senior U.S. official told reporters that the American task force will “oversee, observe, and make sure there are no violations” of the deal. The official added that the U.S. troops will be joined by members of the Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish armed forces — all of whom played crucial roles in mediating the agreement.
“The goal is to make sure this ceasefire holds,” the official said. “It’s not just about ending the fighting for a few days, but about laying the groundwork for something that endures.”
The American personnel will remain stationed in Israel, where they will focus on logistics, transportation, engineering, and operational planning. The U.S. Department of Defense emphasized that the mission will not involve combat operations and that no American soldiers will set foot in Gaza.
“They will not be in Gaza. There will be no U.S. boots on the ground,” one official clarified, underscoring the administration’s cautious approach to direct military involvement.
The ceasefire deal, agreed to on Thursday, marks the first formal pause in hostilities between Israel and Hamas since the war began two years ago. Trump announced the breakthrough on his Truth Social platform, describing it as “the first step toward strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”
Under the terms of the deal, both sides agreed to a mutual cessation of fire and a hostage-prisoner exchange. Around 20 Israeli hostages believed to still be alive, as well as the remains of others who died in captivity, are expected to be released. In exchange, Israel will release several Palestinian detainees held in its prisons.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli government had approved the agreement, calling it “a vital humanitarian and national security step.” The announcement follows months of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, who acted as key intermediaries between the two sides.
After nearly two years of relentless fighting that left tens of thousands dead and Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins, the ceasefire offers a rare moment of hope. For families of hostages, it’s a long-awaited relief — and for civilians in Gaza, a fragile pause from airstrikes and bombardments that have devastated their communities.
The ceasefire is expected to take effect within the next 24 hours, officials said. Once operational, the U.S. troops will assist in coordinating humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza and help manage the “deconfliction mechanism,” a system designed to prevent accidental clashes and maintain communication between Israeli and Hamas representatives through intermediaries.
“Everyone understands how delicate this moment is,” a U.S. defense official noted. “This mission is about building confidence — helping ensure that promises made are promises kept.”
The deployment, while modest in scale, symbolizes Washington’s renewed involvement in Middle East peace efforts and its willingness to serve as a stabilizing force amid one of the region’s most volatile conflicts. Whether the ceasefire can transform into a lasting peace remains uncertain, but for now, the world is watching and hoping this fragile truce marks the true beginning of the end.