US to deploy 200 troops to Israel to monitor Gaza deal

The United States will deploy up to 200 troops to Israel tasked with monitoring the Gaza agreement and working with other international forces on the ground, the White House has said.

No Americans are expected to be deployed into the Palestinian enclave, Reuters reported citing U.S. officials.

The U.S. military's Central Command will stand up the task force, known as the Civil-Military Coordination Center, or CMCC, one of the officials said, according to Reuters.

The CMCC's job will be to facilitate the flow of assistance into Gaza, including security assistance and humanitarian aid, officials said.

Two officials, who spoke with Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. troops would be the core of the CMCC, but it would also include representatives from Egypt's military, Qatar, Turkey and probably the United Arab Emirates.

One of the officials told Reuters the American troops being deployed would have expertise in planning, security, logistics and engineering.

The officials said it is hoped the Gaza deal, once set into motion, will cool tensions in the region and create conditions for negotiations on more normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations, according to Reuters.