LONDON: British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Friday that the UK has no plans to deploy troops to the Middle East as part of a US-led ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump brokered a deal earlier this week that includes a pause in the two-year war in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Around 200 American troops have been deployed to Israel to assist in monitoring and supporting the truce’s initial implementation.
Speaking to the BBC on Friday, Cooper said the US will take the lead in overseeing the ceasefire process and that Britain will not send personnel to join the effort.
“That’s not our plan, there are no plans to do that,” she said.
“The US will lead what is effectively a monitoring process to make sure that this happens on the ground, overseeing the hostage releases and ensuring aid gets in place.
“They’ve made clear they expect the troops on the ground to be provided by neighboring states, and that is something we do expect to happen,” she added.
Cooper confirmed that discussions were underway regarding an “international security force” but said the UK’s contribution would focus on financial and diplomatic support, including exploring private investment options for Gaza’s reconstruction.
She added that the British government hopes the ceasefire will come into effect “imminently.”
The foreign secretary made the comments after attending talks in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside her German counterpart Johann Wadephul and the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia, Jean-Noel Barrot and Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
The ceasefire deal was reached just days after the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, when Hamas militants killed nearly 1,200 people and abducted around 250 others during incursions into Israel.
The assault prompted a major Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has since left more than 67,000 dead, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and displaced much of the enclave’s population.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the truce “would not have happened without” Trump’s leadership, while world leaders have cautiously welcomed the agreement as a potential step toward ending the conflict.
