The Gaza ceasefire deal has continued to hold, with Hamas expected to release a second round of hostages Saturday, to include four female Israeli captives.
While the guns have fallen silent, one of the more interesting developments is that American security contractors are expected to take over a key location on the ground inside the northern Gaza Strip.
Security contractor UG Solutions will deploy personnel to a checkpoint on the road to northern Gaza, at a corridor which splits the northern part of the Strip in half. Another US firm, Safe Reach Solutions, is also involved in the logistics and planning, Israeli press reports have identified.
CNN details, "Armed personnel from an American security contractor will man the checkpoint and will be responsible for inspecting vehicles entering northern Gaza. Palestinians returning to northern Gaza on foot will not be inspected, according to the terms of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas."
As part of the ongoing truce, Israeli forces are withdrawing from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza. This is expected to be complete Saturday amid the next hostage exchange. Many displaced residents of northern Gaza will for the first time check on their destroyed homes and communities.
Israeli forces are set to complete their withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza on Saturday, which will allow displaced residents of northern Gaza to return to their homes – or what remains of them. American involvement in overseeing aspects of the truce appears part of the deal, but Palestinians are unlikely to be happy that Israeli troops have been exchanged for Americans (even if they are a 'private' force).
CNN further details that neither US security firm is very publicly well-known:
Neither firm has an extensive online footprint. On its website, Safe Reach Solutions says it provides “planning, logistics, and strategic expertise to organizations operating in the world’s most complex environments.”
Israel has long mulled various plans to deploy private American contractors to safeguard aid shipments in Gaza or to establish humanitarian zones that have been fully cleared of Hamas militants.
And the NY Times has noted, "The contractors have been enlisted to do weapons checks on vehicles carrying displaced Palestinians back to their homes in the north under the terms of the new cease-fire."
This practice of deploying of what amounts to American mercenaries in or near Gaza is controversial to say the least. Palestinians have warned against any foreign troop presence, and will see the US firms ultimately as part of the Israeli-American joint military machine.
US bombs and weapons have been heavily used against militants and civilians alike in Gaza since the war started in the wake of the Oct.7 terror attack. This means Palestinians will treat any US or foreign military presence with deep suspicion and hostility.
