What the 200 US troops in Israel will be doing to monitor ceasefire
U.S. troops have begun to arrive in Israel to set up a coordination center that will oversee implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, two officials told ABC News.
No U.S. troops will enter Gaza, the officials said.
According to one U.S. official, the 200 troops being sent to Israel specialize in transportation, planning, logistics, security and engineering. They will be working alongside representatives from other partner nations, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.
The coordination center is seen as a kind of first step in helping to implement the peace process, which will require extensive coordination of humanitarian, logistical and security assistance.
The troops being sent to Israel to create the military-led command center are trickling in through the weekend with various components flying in from the U.S. and the Middle East.
Adm. Brad Cooper, who oversees U.S. troops across the region as head of U.S. Central Command, which is based in Tampa, Florida, was in Israel as of Friday, officials said.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty




