Pentagon bolsters Gaza ceasefire oversight with 200-troop mission to Israel
US military officials will help coordinate everything from logistics of humanitarian aid deliveries to building security force teams, but doubts remain as to whether any side can force Hamas to disarm.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is sending some 200 military personnel to Israel to set up a coordination center for Gaza that will monitor everything from Israeli forces’ withdrawal to an anticipated flood of humanitarian assistance into the enclave, US officials said Thursday.
“There will be no US boots on the ground in Gaza,” a US defense official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity late on Thursday.
The center will bring together military officials from regional nations, international nongovernmental organizations and some private sector companies with the goal of eventually returning Gaza to civilian governance, the official said.
The coordination center, led by US Central Command, will also monitor for violations of the ceasefire or unauthorized incursions, US officials said.
