The two officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, added that this force would be a key part of a task force that would include representatives from the Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish, and possibly the UAE militaries.
The two officials stated that the exact location of the US forces has not yet been determined. However, they will establish a joint control center and cooperate with other security forces operating in Gaza to coordinate with Israeli forces to avoid clashes.
One of them confirmed that "no US forces are scheduled to enter Gaza," while the two officials expressed hope that the Gaza agreement, once implemented, would help de-escalate tensions in the region and pave the way for negotiations on further normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states, as they put it.
Early Thursday morning, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on the first phase of his ceasefire and prisoner exchange plan.
The agreement came after four days of indirect negotiations between the two parties in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, with the participation of delegations from Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, and under US supervision.
Hamas said the agreement calls for an end to the war, an Israeli withdrawal, the entry of aid, and a prisoner exchange. It called for "obligating the occupation government to fully implement the agreement's requirements."
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 48 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 11,100 Palestinians are languishing in its prisons, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect. Several of these Palestinians have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 8, 2023, leaving 67,194 martyrs and 169,890 wounded, most of them children and women, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 460 Palestinians, including 154 children.
