US troops arrive in Israel for Gaza ceasefire mission

US troops began arriving in Israel on Saturday to take part in a joint task force to monitor the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to media reports.

Citing two US officials, ABC News reported that 200 troops will arrive in Israel "to set up a coordination center that will oversee implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza" and operate in different fields, including transportation, planning, logistics, security, and engineering.

US troops will not enter the Gaza Strip; they will carry out their activities in Israel under the command of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Bradley Cooper, alongside different units and contingents sent from countries in the region, according to the report.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan he laid out on Sept. 29 to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, release all Israeli captives being held there in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip.

A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas' participation, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.