The United States is sending 200 troops to Israel to support and monitor the newly approved ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, according to multiple reports. Senior US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the troops will establish a civil-military coordination centre operated by US Central Command to facilitate humanitarian aid, logistical support, and security assistance into Gaza.
The troops have already begun arriving from around the world and will continue to travel to the region over the weekend to begin planning and setting up the centre. The coordination centre will be staffed by US service members with expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics, and engineering. American troops will not enter Gaza, officials confirmed.
The ceasefire deal, announced by Donald Trump on his Truth Social network, includes a hostage-prisoner exchange that would free about 20 Israeli hostages and roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, Israeli strikes continued after the deal was announced, killing 30 people, and Palestinians celebrated in the streets despite ongoing attacks.
More than 2 million people have been displaced in Gaza, and humanitarian officials are awaiting permission from Israel to deliver aid. The UN says only 20% of needed aid has been delivered in recent months, with 170,000 metric tons of supplies ready for distribution. The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, called for all entry points to open to allow aid delivery at a much greater scale.
Since the war began, over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians, and 169,000 injured. The collapse of health systems and food access has led to at least 400 additional deaths from malnutrition, including over 100 children. As Israeli forces withdraw, questions remain about the next steps for stabilisation and reconstruction.
