The U.S. military is stepping up to guide the early rollout of an International Stabilization Force in Gaza. This comes hot on the heels of a hard-won cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, showing Trump’s 20-point peace plan in action.
The U.S. Central Command, known as CENTCOM, is taking the reins for the kickoff phase, with plans to bring in troops from three or four other countries. It’s a smart setup that keeps American interests front and center while sharing the load.
Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM’s commander, is set to put around 200 personnel on the scene right away. But let’s be crystal clear: no U.S. troops are heading into Gaza itself, according to what officials shared during a White House briefing.
These American forces will focus on pulling together contributions from nations like Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, all while ensuring smooth coordination with Israel to avoid any mix-ups.
“[Cooper’s] role will be to oversee, observe, make sure there are no violations or incursions — everybody is worried about the other side. So much of this is going to be oversight,” one U.S. official explained.
That same official noted how Cooper’s team will include experts from the Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish militaries, plus possibly the Emiratis, to build a united front. “The notion is to make it collegial.” A second official drove the point home: “no US troops are intended to go into Gaza.”
CENTCOM’s primary task is establishing a central command hub to enforce the fresh cease-fire, which should pave the way for about 20 Israeli hostages to be freed come Monday. “The responsibility will be to keep the Israelis informed of what they’re seeing, to keep the Egyptians, the Qataris and the Turks informed about what they’re seeing, to come up with better security plans,” the first official added.
Admiral Cooper was right in the thick of the negotiations that sealed this deal on Wednesday. “We’re already talking to multiple governments about standing up that ISF force. I think with Admiral Cooper, it’s going to become a lot easier,” the official said.
“He walked into the room at the first meeting and literally said, ‘I can have a command room up and running in two weeks,’” the official recounted, mentioning that teams are hustling as of Friday to nail down the spot for this operation.
Questions linger about the ultimate size of this peacekeeping outfit, but it’s clear Trump’s vision is flexible and pragmatic.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X Thursday night to set the record straight: “To be clear: up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground.”
Trump’s groundbreaking 20-point plan, which both sides have embraced in outline, calls for a multinational team to step in as Hamas steps back from control in Gaza.
The plan spells it out: “the United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field.”
It goes further: “This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces.”
When pressed in the Oval Office on Thursday about who exactly will make up the force, Trump kept it straightforward: it was “to be determined.”
Do you think U.S. troops should be deployed to help with the peacekeeping efforts in Gaza? Let us know what you think by posting in the comments section!
To be determined. For us or anyone to make treaties with a terrorist organization is not wise. This goes back to Biblical principles, God warned Israel about these things and it applies to us all. God told them to wipe out their enemies, in most cases I think that still applies today. These Muslim terrorist organizations are sweeping across nations and killing anyone who does not hold their view especially Christians and Jews. But know one is going to wise up and they will plague humanity until Jesus returns and He will wipe them and all evil out! Thankfully that time is approaching quickly!
I agree with the wiping out or the unconditional surrender being the end of war. Japan and Germany are free countries today because the Japan Middle Aged culture was wiped out and the Nazis were wiped out, Every time the enemy is not wiped out you end up in a civil war that continues on and on with the baddies always ending up controlling the country as a dictatorship. And counting on the U.S. always being there for the building of free countries can’t be counted on. Presidents leave and new ones come in not making the right decisions. Congress falls into the hands of people using the job to build their money empire. Well, we can enjoy the peace until another explosion happens, when all the crap merges together, we should have a few years of peace until then.