UK quietly sends troops to assist US 'monitoring' of Gaza ceasefire

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Sky News + Agencies
22 Oct 2025 09:44
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The UK has deployed a senior commander and a small team of military officers to occupied Palestine at Washington’s request.

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British servicemen unfurl the Union Jack flag before the start of the NATO Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise, in Smardan, eastern Romania, on February 19, 2025. (AP)

The United Kingdom has deployed a small contingent of military planning officers to "Israel" following a request from the United States, marking London’s first confirmed troop involvement linked to the Gaza ceasefire monitoring mission.

The personnel are embedded within a US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), tasked with overseeing ceasefire implementation and post-war stabilization planning for Gaza.

Citing the UK Minister of Defense John Healey, Sky News reported that Britain has sent a senior commander and a small team of military personnel, with the British officer serving as deputy to a US commander tasked with leading the CMCC.

Healey asserted that the UK’s role is focused on coordination, not combat. Officials added that British troops will remain outside the Gaza Strip, describing the deployment as a contribution of specialist experience and skills to assist US planning teams.

UK role tied to Trump's Gaza framework

The deployment aligns with US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, unveiled on September 29.

Trump's plan called for an immediate ceasefire, contingent on the release of Israeli captives within 72 hours and the subsequent release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, and stipulated that Hamas or other Palestinian armed factions should have no role in governing the Gaza Strip, transferring control to a technocratic committee supervised by an international body led by the Trump administration.

Hamas and Palestinian Resistance parties said that they agreed to the initial prisoner exchange and to the cessation of hostilities, but maintain that governance and other issues are Palestinian issues that should be resolved internally.

Since the ceasefire was signed, the Israeli occupation has violated the agreement multiple times, causing mediators to condemn its actions. So far, the Israeli occupation has killed nearly 80 Palestinians and injured hundreds of others under a number of pretexts.

UK role in past interventions

Over the past 25 years, the United Kingdom has repeatedly intervened in conflicts and wars abroad, often under the guise of coalition or peacekeeping operations, yet its record raises serious questions about accountability and effectiveness. In Iraq in 2003, UK forces participated in the US-led invasion without explicit UN authorization, toppling Saddam Hussein but leaving the country mired in violence and instability. In Afghanistan, British troops achieved limited success, temporarily removing the Taliban but failing to establish lasting governance, ultimately witnessing their return to power.

Even missions framed as advisory or stabilization efforts, such as in Iraq, Syria, or South Sudan, have often lacked transparency. Several UK troops have faced investigations and trials for human rights abuses, including unlawful killings and mistreatment of civilians, undermining London’s international credibility as a "peacekeeper".

British war crimes

Corporal Donald Payne was the first British soldier convicted of a war crime under the International Criminal Court Act 2001. Payne pleaded guilty in 2006 to inhumane treatment of a prisoner following the death of Baha Mousa, an Iraqi hotel worker who was killed while in British custody in Basra.

Payne was sentenced to only one year in prison and dismissed from the Army after he and his unit beat and tortured a number of civilians, ultimately leading to Mousa's death. Covert deployments of special forces across multiple countries have further compounded scrutiny over British interference. London’s interventions have frequently prioritized alignment with US strategic goals over genuine humanitarian objectives, and long-term outcomes often destabilize regions rather than promote security.

Unclear mandate

While officials insist the UK mission in occupied Palestine is limited, they have not disclosed the total number of troops deployed. The government is yet to release details on the mission’s legal basis, chain of command, or rules of engagement.

Reuters reported that the CMCC, led by Washington, is expected to include around 200 US troops, alongside teams from the UK, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the UAE. The center’s stated aim is to help “monitor and stabilize” the ceasefire between "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance, though details of its operational authority remain unclear.