US troops begin arriving in Israel to join Gaza ceasefire monitoring mission: Report

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USA Flag in San Diego. [Mario Tama/Getty Images]

US troops began arriving in Israel on Saturday to take part in a joint task force to monitor the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to media reports, Anadolu reports.

Citing two US officials, ABC News reported that 200 troops will arrive in Israel “to set up a coordination center that will oversee implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza” and operate in different fields, including transportation, planning, logistics, security, and engineering.

US troops will not enter the Gaza Strip; they will carry out their activities in Israel under the command of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Bradley Cooper, alongside different units and contingents sent from countries in the region, according to the report.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan he laid out on Sept. 29 to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, release all Israeli captives being held there in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip.

A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.

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Thousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv to demand prisoner swap deal

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An aerial view shows thousands of people gathering in Hostages Square demand an end to the war in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages, on July 12, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel. [Yair Palti – Anadolu Agency]

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in central Tel Aviv on Saturday to demand a prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinians, Anadolu reports.

“No victory without return of hostages,” and “There are 50 kidnapped families in Gaza,” read banners waved by protesters, Israeli Channel 13 reported.

The protest came amid reports of a deadlock in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas delegations in Qatar.

“The negotiations have not collapsed, and the Israeli delegation continues talks in Doha despite Hamas intransigence,” the channel said, citing an unnamed political official.

A forum representing families of Israeli captives in Gaza called on the government to end the ongoing war on the Palestinian enclave.

“Missing the current momentum would be a serious failure; every day the war continues is an achievement for Hamas and a serious risk for our hostages and soldiers,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

READ: Israel plans to build nearly 2,400 more settlement units in occupied West Bank

“All the polls and data show that an absolute majority of the nation of Israel wants an end to the war in Gaza and the return of hostages, and agrees that it is in Israel’s interest, including a decisive majority among coalition voters,” added the statement.

The families addressed a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, “History will remember what you chose: the hostages and fighters, or cheap political maneuvers.”

Hamas said Wednesday it has agreed to release 10 live Israeli captives as a sign of “flexibility” to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement, while Israel remains rigid on key points, including withdrawal from Gaza.

In contrast, Israel insists on a buffer zone 2 to 3 kilometers wide in the Rafah area, and 1 to 2 kilometers in other border areas.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing nearly 58,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

READ: Gaza war strategy to ‘crush’ Israeli soldiers as ultra-Orthodox Jews exempted: Reservist

Continue ReadingThousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv to demand prisoner swap deal