Trump To Send 200 U.S. Soldiers to Israel: Report
Mark Schiefelbein/AP photo
President Donald Trump is sending about 200 soldiers to Israel to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.
The AP cited U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said U.S. Central Command will establish a “civil-military coordination center” in Israel to ensure humanitarian aid gets into Gaza while providing security assistance.
The AP further reported:
The coordination center will be staffed by about 200 U.S. service members who have expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering, said the official, who noted that no American troops will be sent into Gaza.
A second official said troops would come from U.S. Central Command as well as other parts of the globe. That official added that the troops already have begun arriving and will continue to travel to the region over the weekend to begin planning and efforts to establish the center.
Trump announced the ceasefire agreement in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly!” he wrote.
Hours before the post, AP photographer Evan Vucci captured Secretary of State Marco Rubio handing the president a note.
“Very close. We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first,” the note said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which will be awarded on Friday.
“I want to express the appreciation and admiration not only of all Israelis, but of the Jewish people, and many, many admirers around the world for your leadership, your leadership of a free world, your leadership of a just cause, and the pursuit of peace and security which you are leading in many lands now, especially in the Middle East,” Netanyahu told Trump at the White House in July.
