US Steps Up Role in Gaza, To Deploy 200 Personnel To Oversee Peace Pact
https://c.ndtvimg.com/2025-10/21obltfk_gaza_625x300_10_October_25.jpeg?downsize=773:435The US military command responsible for the Middle East will play a role in Gaza's transition once a peace deal is finalised, though American troops aren't intended to be deployed on the ground in Gaza itself, US officials said Thursday.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, will oversee 200 people in the region tasked with overseeing the peace pact while the sides stand up an international stabilisation force for Gaza, the officials told reporters on condition of anonymity.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later said "up to 200" Centcom personnel will be "tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground." Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some of those may be on the ground in Israel.
The international force is part of the 20-point plan that President Donald Trump proposed, and Israel and Hamas agreed to, as part of a push to end the conflict in Gaza in recent days. Trump said Thursday he's set to fly to the region in the coming days to be on hand for the release of some 20 living hostages to Israel as part of the deal.
Still, the allocation is a sign of Trump's push to reach a deal. Cooper accompanied Trump's top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on this week's trip to the region, the officials said.
Cooper's role will be to oversee the situation and make sure there are no incursions or violations of the agreement, the officials said. Embedded with the team of 200 people will be members of the Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish armed forces, as well as probably those of the United Arab Emirates, one of the officials said.
The officials said it still hadn't been decided where Cooper's team will be deployed, but Centcom is based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Centcom's involvement in the transition signals a stepped up role for the US military but not an unprecedented one. Cooper's predecessor, General Michael Kurilla, visited Israel to help work with the country's armed forces to assess the outcome of strikes against Iran. Centcom also helped Israel coordinate its response to barrages of Iranian missiles in 2024.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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