Egypt Wants US Troops In Gaza As Part Of Peacekeeping Mission
Via Middle East Eye
US troops will need to deploy to Gaza if the international force of peacekeepers that President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan envisions is to become a reality, Egypt has told the US, according to two Arab officials who spoke to Middle East Eye.
Senior Egyptian officials told their US counterparts that they want the International Stabilization Force outlined in Trump’s 20-point peace plan to be modelled on the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) that deployed to Sinai after the peninsula was returned to Egypt from Israel in 1982. The US has led the MFO since its inception, supplying hundreds of troops as a buffer and reassurance force.
Trump's plan envisions the international force made up of Arab and Muslim states securing Gaza as Israel withdraws. Egypt, the only Arab country that borders Gaza, is set to play a key role in the force, as it is home to the Arab world's largest army.
Egyptian military intelligence also has ties with Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. MEE reported earlier that Hamas wants Turkish troops to deploy to Gaza to guarantee the ceasefire, but the two Arab officials and a former senior US official said Israel objects to a Turkish presence.
The Egyptian request, which has been communicated publicly and privately, is likely to test Trump's appetite for a deeper military footprint in Gaza. One former senior US official familiar with the request said it was a nonstarter.
However, there are some signs that the US is preparing for a bigger military footprint in Israel's neighborhood already. US military personnel at the Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar have shifted to Jordan for the coming months, one Arab official told MEE.
The military personnel belong to risk and security assessment teams, effectively managing security at the US military base. Current and former US and Arab officials told MEE that the move could signal the US is preparing for more troops to arrive in the region. Trump's plan has listed Jordan and Egypt as key security partners in Gaza.
The deployment of US troops to Gaza is just one of many sensitive points that negotiators meeting in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh this week have to address to end Israel's war on Gaza as it approaches the two-year mark.
Arab and Muslim countries were angered when Trump unveiled his plan last week. Although he recognized two of their key demands - a permanent end to the war and no forced displacement from Gaza - he did not commit to a Palestinian state and left room for Israel to stall its withdrawal from Gaza.
Egypt was especially upset that Trump downplayed the role of the Palestinian Authority, MEE reported. But the US's Arab and Muslim partners are backing the plan. Trump prides himself as a negotiator, and analysts and diplomats say much is still up for discussion this week in Egypt.
'Skin in the game'
Trump called on Sunday for mediators to "move fast" to reach an agreement after he welcomed Hamas's response to his proposal as a pathway for a deal. Hamas, Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish, US and Israeli officials are participating in the talks, Arab officials told MEE.
The plan calls for the quick release of all remaining Israeli captives in Gaza - roughly 20 are still alive - in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas and Israel have orchestrated prisoner exchanges before, including during a ceasefire in January that collapsed two months later when Israel unilaterally resumed attacking Gaza. If all goes according to plan this time, the first phase of the deal, the captives' release, would be over in 72 hours, although analysts warn it could take longer for Hamas to locate the living and dead captives.
One central sticking point in the talks is the timeline for Israel's withdrawal. Trump's plan provides no specific deadline and leaves Israel space to remain deep inside Gaza.
Egypt, Qatar and Turkey are pressing for a complete withdrawal, Arab officials told MEE. Hamas is expected to insist that Israel withdraw to a narrow buffer zone around Gaza before fully leaving the enclave.
Arab leaders whose armies are expected to partake in the international peacekeeping force don't want their soldiers rubbing shoulders with Israelis among the ruins of Gaza. Nor do they want to be seen as providing cover for Israel if it unilaterally resumes attacking Gaza.
Egypt, which is likely to contribute the bulk of soldiers, is especially worried, Arab officials told MEE. "For the Egyptians, a US presence would represent an actual commitment to the plan in real terms; troops and funds. It would be viewed as skin in the game, a tangible embodiment of US support, and, potentially, an incentive for Israel to curb violations," Mirette Mabrouk, who is currently in Cairo and heads the Middle East Institute's Egypt programme, told MEE.
"Although the attack on Doha proved that US presence is no automatic safeguard against Israeli aggression," she added, referring to Israel's attack on the Qatari capital in September.
Egyptian intelligence has been in talks with Hamas's armed wing about disarmament, which is stipulated under Trump's plan. It has been a source of growing tension between the Palestinian movement and Cairo. One of the Arab officials familiar with the talks told MEE it was "difficult".
Several options have been reported, including Hamas turning its arms directly over to Egypt and storing them. The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas wants to keep its small arms, which it considers defensive.
Riccardo Fabiani, the North Africa project director at the International Crisis Group, told MEE that in addition to "containing Israel", Egypt wants US troops on the ground to be able to verify the handover of weapons - which Israel could use as a provocation to restart attacks. "They want the US to participate in whatever disarmament process is going to take place," he said.
"I don't see this administration particularly interested in having permanent troops involved in peacekeeping. They prefer bombing a place and getting out," he said.
Trump's plan rules out Hamas governing Gaza. It calls for a "Board of Peace" led by Trump to govern the enclave alongside Palestinian technocrats.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 10/08/2025 - 03:30
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