The United States will deploy about 200 military personnel as part of a new multinational task force aimed at supporting stability operations in Gaza, two senior US officials said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, the officials emphasized that no American troops will enter Gaza itself, and that the US presence will be limited to coordination and logistical roles outside the enclave.

According to the officials, the 200 US troops will form the core of a joint task force that will include representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and possibly the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The aim, they said, is to establish a joint control and coordination center to oversee the ceasefire’s implementation, prevent renewed hostilities, and coordinate humanitarian operations.

“No US troops are intended to go into Gaza,” one official stressed. “Our role will be to support coordination and ensure all parties avoid unintended clashes or escalation.”

The exact location of the task force has not yet been finalized, but sources suggest it will likely be based either in northern Sinai, Egypt, or at an existing US regional military facility, where liaison officers from partner nations can operate alongside American counterparts.

The task force will coordinate with Israeli military structures to ensure safe and transparent implementation of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal reached earlier this week between Israel and the Palestinian Resistance factions, led by Hamas.

Officials noted that the command center would serve as a deconfliction mechanism, helping to manage communication among military forces, humanitarian agencies, and ceasefire monitors operating near or around Gaza’s borders.

The plan comes as part of the broader Gaza stabilization framework that followed the announcement of a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after nearly two years of devastating war in the enclave.

US officials said Washington views the Gaza stabilization effort as an opportunity to ease regional tensions and to revive Arab-Israeli diplomatic dialogue.

“It’s hoped that this Gaza arrangement, once operational, will cool tensions across the region and lay the groundwork for future diplomatic normalization,” one of the senior officials said.

The United States previously played a key role in brokering the Abraham Accords during President Donald Trump’s first term, which led to normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states — Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan.

Analysts in Washington believe the administration hopes to leverage the Gaza deal as a new diplomatic platform to expand that framework to additional regional partners, including possibly Saudi Arabia.

The deployment announcement follows Israel’s official approval of the ceasefire and captive exchange framework, marking a turning point after nearly two years of relentless conflict in Gaza. The agreement — brokered through mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye, with US support — includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces, a halt to military operations, and the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave.

The Gaza task force, officials said, will act as a stabilization bridge, ensuring that the fragile truce holds and that aid and reconstruction efforts can proceed without security breakdowns.

While Washington insists the mission is non-combat in nature, some regional observers caution that the introduction of foreign coordination forces could draw the US deeper into a volatile post-war environment. (ILKHA)