The United States military says it has killed or captured about 25 ISIL (ISIS) fighters in a wave of attacks over nine days in Syria. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the US military's Middle East operations, issued a statement on Tuesday marking the conclusion of the operations this month. The campaign followed the killing of two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter by an ISIL gunman in Syria on December 13 and widescale US strikes against the group six days later.
In a post on X, Cooper said that no US troops would be deployed to the Palestinian territory. "America's sons and daughters in uniform are answering the call to deliver peace in the Middle East," he said. "This great effort will be achieved with no US boots on the ground in Gaza," Cooper added. The US Navy chief said he had also discussed establishing a CENTCOM-led Civil-Military Coordination Center that will "synchronize activities to support post-conflict stabilization."
U.S. Central Command is reportedly establishing a "civil-military coordination center" in Israel, staffed with hundreds of troops, to monitor the newly implemented ceasefire in Gaza, U.S. officials have said. U.S. outlets have reported that the military is slated to send 200 troops to Israel for the effort, with some having already been sent. The troops are there, officials said, primarily to provide "security" support and to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid in Gaza.