“Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), will initially deploy 200 personnel on the ground. His role will be to observe, monitor, and ensure there are no violations,” a senior U.S. official said on October 9.
The 200 troops will form the core of a joint task force that will include representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Another official stressed that the U.S. does not plan to send troops into the Gaza Strip itself. “The American personnel will help establish a joint command center, then coordinate with all security units deployed in the area to avoid any clashes with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),” the official added.
The announcement came after Israel and Hamas signed the first phase of a ceasefire agreement on October 9, following several rounds of indirect talks at Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort.
The Israeli government approved the deal in an emergency session early on October 10. A government spokesperson said the ceasefire will take effect within 24 hours of approval, and that all hostages held in Gaza will be released within 72 hours thereafter.
Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy Hamas chief who led the group’s delegation to Egypt, said he received assurances from the U.S. and other mediators that the fighting was over.
Under the agreement, all combat operations will cease. Israel will withdraw part of its forces from the Gaza Strip, while Hamas will release all surviving hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Aid convoys carrying food and medicine will also be allowed to enter Gaza in large quantities to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
The final list of Palestinian prisoners to be released has yet to be finalized. Hamas has demanded the release of senior members and hundreds of detainees captured during the past two years of fighting. Some sources suggest around 2,000 prisoners, including 250 serving long-term sentences, will be freed.
Within 24 hours of the ceasefire taking effect, the IDF will begin withdrawing to pre-designated areas, retaining control over roughly 53% of the Gaza Strip, primarily outside major urban centers.
Israel will continue to hold the buffer zones along the entire border, including the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in the north, a ridge east of Gaza City, and much of Rafah and Khan Younis in the south.
Both Israelis and Palestinians welcomed the announcement as a major step toward ending more than two years of conflict, which has killed over 67,000 Palestinians and led to the release of the last remaining hostages held by Hamas.