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President Donald Trump’s top Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited an Israel Defense Forces base in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, the second day of the ceasefire, Fox News reported, citing an image obtained exclusively by the network.
He was reportedly accompanied by Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, who said in a social media post his visit was part of efforts to set up a task force to support Gaza’s stabilization. Cooper emphasized that U.S. troops would not be deployed inside the Gaza Strip.
Newsweek could not independently verify Fox News’ report and has contacted CENTCOM for confirmation via email..
Why It Matters
The Israel and Hamas agreement to the first phase of Trump’s peace deal marks a pivotal moment in the two-year war that has devastated Gaza, displacing millions and creating severe shortages of food, water and medical care.
Witkoff’s reported presence in Gaza highlights U.S. engagement in the region, as the deal was a major coup for President Donald Trump who has said he wants his legacy to be that of a “peacemaker and a unifier.”
What To Know
Roughly 200 U.S. troops have arrived in Israel to assist in retrieving hostages and monitoring the ceasefire. They will also help establish a coordination center to facilitate aid and logistics. Witkoff told Israeli officials that Washington will establish a center in Israel to coordinate Gaza-related issues until a new governing structure is formed, according to a meeting readout obtained by The Associated Press.
Thousands of Palestinians began returning to their homes across Gaza on Saturday, The AP reported, as the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be holding, .
The conflict began with Hamas’ 2023 assault on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken. In Israel’s subsequent offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to The Associated Press, which cited Gaza’s Health Ministry. The U.N. estimates that over three-quarters of Gaza’s buildings have been destroyed, while a joint EU and World Bank assessment in February put total damages at $49 billion.
Israeli forces pulled back from major urban areas under the first phase of the agreement, which also requires Hamas to release its remaining hostages within 72 hours. According to Reuters, 20 of the 48 remaining hostages are believed to be alive. In return, Israel will free 250 Palestinians serving long sentences and around 1,700 detained during the war.
Despite the truce, questions remain about whether the deal will lead to a lasting peace — and what will become of Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Friday that if the group does not disarm, Israel will act again: “If it’s achieved the easy way, so be it. If not, it will be achieved the hard way.”
Trump said Friday he was confident the ceasefire would hold, telling reporters, “They’re all tired of the fighting,” though he acknowledged that some details still have to be worked out. Under his plan, Israel would maintain an open-ended military presence along Gaza’s border, while an international force—largely made up of troops from Arab and Muslim countries—would take responsibility for security inside the enclave.
What People Are Saying
Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement: “Just returned from a visit inside Gaza to inform how we are moving forward to establish a CENTCOM-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) that will synchronize activities to support post-conflict stabilization. America’s sons and daughters in uniform are answering the call to deliver peace in the Middle East in support of the Commander in Chief’s direction in this historic moment. This great effort will be achieved with no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza.”
UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram told The Associated Press on Friday: “When people get there, they’re going to find rubble. They’ll find that their homes and their neighborhoods have been reduced to dust.”
“A ceasefire alone is not enough,” Ingram added, and called for a “surge of humanitarian aid that begins to address the tremendous damage that has been done over the past two years.”
What Happens Next
In the coming days, hostages and prisoners are expected to be exchanged if the ceasefire continues to hold.
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