WASHINGTON — The U.S. military command responsible for the Middle East will play a role in Gaza’s transition once a peace deal is finalized, though American troops aren’t intended to be deployed on the ground in Gaza itself, U.S. officials said Thursday.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, will have about 200 people in the region while the sides stand up an international stabilization force for Gaza, the officials told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The international force is part of the 20-point plan that President Donald Trump proposed, and Israel and Hamas agreed to, as part of a push to end the conflict in Gaza in recent days. Trump said Thursday he’s set to fly to the region in the coming days to be on hand for the release of some 20 living hostages to Israel as part of the deal.
Cooper accompanied Trump’s top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on this week’s trip to the region, the officials said.
Cooper’s role will be to oversee the situation and make sure there are no incursions or violations of the agreement, the officials said. Embedded with the team of 200 people will be members of the Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish armed forces, as well as probably those of the United Arab Emirates, the official said.
The officials said it still hadn’t been decided where Cooper’s team will be deployed, but Centcom is based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Centcom’s involvement in the transition signals a stepped up role for the U.S. military but not an unprecedented one. Cooper’s predecessor, General Michael Kurilla, visited Israel to help work with the country’s armed forces to assess the outcome of strikes against Iran. Centcom also helped Israel coordinate its response to barrages of Iranian missiles in 2024.
