US troops arrive in Israel, monitoring Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and Israel

Описание: (ASSOCIATED PRESS) — Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their Gaza neighborhoods Saturday, weaving through dust-shrouded streets as bulldozers clawed through the wreckage of two years of war and a ceasefire held in its second day.

“Gaza is completely destroyed. I have no idea where we should live or where to go,” said Mahmoud al-Shandoghli as he walked through Gaza City. A boy climbed a shattered building to raise the Palestinian flag.

About 200 U.S. troops arrived in Israel to monitor the ceasefire with Hamas. They will set up a center to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance. The head of the U.S. military’s Central Command said he visited Gaza on Saturday.

“This great effort will be achieved with no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza,” Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement.

Israel said U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met with senior U.S. and Israeli military officials in Gaza on Saturday.

Witkoff was set to speak Saturday evening as thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv for a weekly rally that many hoped would be the last. Israel’s military has said the 48 hostages still in Gaza would be freed Monday. The government believes around 20 remain alive.

People hugged and took selfies. Many waved U.S. flags. “It’s a really happy time, but we know that there are going to be some incredibly difficult moments coming,” said one person in the crowd, Yaniv Peretz.