Around 200 US troops arrived in Israel to establish a coordination centre for Gaza’s humanitarian and logistical support.
Officials said the troops would not enter Gaza but would oversee the ceasefire implementation between Israel and Hamas.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Central Command head Brad Cooper inspected the IDF withdrawal’s first phase on Saturday.
Cooper said his command would lead the centre, adding, “This effort will proceed without US boots on Gaza’s ground.”
Ceasefire Prompts Relief Operations and Aid Expansion
Under the truce, Hamas will release 48 hostages by Monday, while Israel plans to free 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Gaza authorities said over 5,000 operations have restored water, sewage, and medical infrastructure since the ceasefire began.
Aid groups conducted 700 missions to deliver food to displaced Palestinians across the devastated strip.
The World Food Programme confirmed plans to reopen 145 food points once Israel approves expanded deliveries.
UN officials announced Israel had granted permission to increase aid supplies starting Sunday.
Palestinians Return to Ruins Amid Rising Death Toll
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians moved north, with 500,000 returning to Gaza City since the truce began.
UNICEF’s Tess Ingram warned returning families would find their homes “reduced to dust.”
She called for an urgent “surge of humanitarian aid” to address Gaza’s massive devastation.
Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza reported 45 newly recovered bodies, missing for up to two weeks.
US President Donald Trump plans to visit the Middle East for the peace deal signing in Egypt, marking a possible end to the two-year war.
