Egypt wants US troops in Gaza as part of peacekeeping mission, officials say

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 modeled 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.

Read more: Egypt wants US troops in Gaza as part of peacekeeping mission, officials say