British troops sent to Israel to monitor Gaza ceasefire
The British military will send a senior commander and a small number of troops to support US-led efforts to implement a Gaza ceasefire, the defense ministry said.
Seeking to push forward US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, mediators including the United States, Egypt and Qatar have stepped up efforts to stabilize a fragile ceasefire.
Mr Healey told business leaders at an event in London that a “small number of UK planning officers” had joined the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), including a two-star officer who will take on the role of deputy commander. Sky News.
The deployment will ensure Britain remains involved in US-led plans for a post-conflict solution in Gaza, the UK defense ministry said in a statement.
Mr Healey said the UK had “specialist experience and skills that we propose to contribute” and although the UK would contribute, the effort would be “led by others”.
“In addition, upon America’s request, we appointed a first-class, two-star officer as deputy commander to the civil-military command,” he said.
“So England will play a mainstay, contributing as much of their specialist experience and skills as we can. We don’t expect to be leaders… but we will do our bit.”
The US has said it will provide up to 200 troops to support the CMCC, but that these troops will not be actively deployed in Gaza.
CMCC will be implemented to ensure security in Gaza, although its structure and legal status have not yet been decided. US officials also said they are talking to Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and Azerbaijan to contribute.
There are growing concerns about the ceasefire, which is in danger of collapsing at the weekend when the Israeli army launched a wave of military attacks on Gaza, killing dozens of people as both sides accused each other of violating ceasefire terms.
Washington sent US officials to Gaza to push ahead with a ceasefire agreement that Israel and Mr Trump said was resumed on Sunday evening.
On Tuesday, the US president again warned Hamas to “do the right thing” and thanked countries that helped implement the ceasefire.
In a post on Truth Social he said: “If they don’t do this, Hamas will end FAST, FURIOUS and HARMFUL! I want to thank all the countries that have called for help.”
US vice president JD Vance went to Israel for a two-day visit. At a news conference on Tuesday, he repeated Mr. Trump’s warning a day earlier that Hamas “must act” or face “serious repercussions.”
He also claimed that the implementation of the ceasefire was going “better than expected” and that the Israeli government was “extraordinarily helpful”.
The vice president called for “some patience” in helping Hamas return the bodies of dead hostages remaining in Gaza, adding that locating the bodies was “difficult.”
Hamas handed over the bodies of two more dead hostages on Tuesday evening, and they have now crossed the border back into Israel. Thus, the number of deceased captives and hostages remaining in Gaza decreased to 13.
Mr. Vance downplayed suggestions that he was rushing to Israel to preserve the ceasefire, adding that he was “confident that we will be in a place where that peace will continue.”
He is expected to remain in the region until Thursday and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, one of the architects of the ceasefire agreement and also in Israel, drew attention to the complexity of the agreement.
“Both sides are now transitioning from two years of intense war to a peacetime stance,” he said at the press conference.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to travel to Israel this weekend or next week, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing US and Israeli officials.
