As nations lay down their arms following more than two years of conflict, the U.S. is stepping in to supervise the next phase of the agreement as a peacekeeping force begins to form. 

Sources inform that all 200 U.S. troops had arrived in Israel by Tuesday night and will operate from a base within Israel. Furthermore, a U.S. Military C-17 transport aircraft, laden with command-and-control equipment and supplies, also landed on Tuesday.

Last week, negotiators involved in Gaza deal talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, asked U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to brief both parties, sources indicate. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, alongside Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, provided a briefing on the Civil Military Coordination Center (CMCC) to Qatari, Egyptian, and Turkish representatives.

Once the U.S. committed to providing substantial coordination, but no ground troops in Gaza, negotiators departed to inform the Israelis and Hamas. From that point, events unfolded rapidly, and, as one well-placed source remarked, “They recognized an opportunity and seized it with incredible speed.” However, with such swiftness comes risk, as certain questions remained unanswered, such as the composition of the stabilization force for Gaza, or the mechanism to ensure Hamas disarms.

has learned that the CMCC will be situated a few miles northeast of Gaza, not at the Israel Defense Force’s Hatzor Airbase, as some reports previously suggested. The CMCC will be under U.S. leadership, but it will also include representatives from multiple countries and stakeholders, such as the and private aid groups. U.S. personnel will monitor all movements into and out of Gaza, and will oversee all logistics for delivering aid to the enclave.

While the center is expected to become operational in the coming days, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar have yet to decide whether their representatives will be stationed there.

Neither Jordan nor Egypt expressed willingness to deploy troops to stabilize Gaza, suggesting that nations from outside the region might be left to manage the situation, though nothing has been finalized. Additionally, external countries willing to send troops would likely require a mandate passed by the U.N. Security Council, along with approval from their own governments, potentially giving Hamas more time to rebuild and fill any power vacuum.

Despite significant losses in the war and international threats, have shown indications they are not ready to cease operations. Since the start of the ceasefire, videos depicting extrajudicial killings by Hamas in public squares began circulating online.

“We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza — in both Hamas-held parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF behind the Yellow Line,” Cooper stated in a Wednesday announcement. “This is an historic opportunity for peace. Hamas should seize it by fully standing down, strictly adhering to President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay.”

has learned of an extensive undertaking occurring behind the scenes to plan and execute Gaza’s reconstruction. A major challenge involves the vast tunnel network beneath Gaza City. To rebuild the city, these tunnels will need to be filled to ensure the ground is stable enough for construction.

The initial phase of the agreement remains ongoing as Hamas has failed to hand over all 28 bodies of deceased hostages, making it less clear when the second stage will commence. Israel has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to retrieving all deceased hostages’ bodies so they can receive proper burials.

On Monday, Israel received the bodies of four deceased hostages, later identified as Yossi Sharabi, Binpin Joshi, Guy Iluz, and Daniel Peretz. Israel received four additional bodies on Tuesday; three were identified as deceased hostages Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, and Eitan Levi. Israel stated the fourth body did not correspond to any of the hostages and was, in fact, a Palestinian. 

“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” the IDF wrote on X.