US Deploys 200 Troops to Oversee Gaza Ceasefire

The United States will deploy 200 military personnel to the Middle East to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, following a peace agreement brokered by President Donald Trump, senior US officials confirmed on Thursday.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, will lead the initial deployment, which will be responsible for monitoring and ensuring that no violations occur during the ceasefire.

Officials said military representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and possibly the United Arab Emirates will also take part in the mission. However, they clarified that US troops will not enter Gaza itself.

Earlier on Thursday, President Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase of his proposed peace plan. Hamas confirmed that a ceasefire agreement had been reached in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that Israel has not abandoned its goal of ending Hamas rule in Gaza but added that expanding peace and normalization across the region remains in Israel’s interest.

The negotiations, held in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, brought together top officials from the mediating nations, including Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, and Israel’s strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also attended the talks.