Senior Egyptian officials told their US counterparts that they want the International Stabilization Force outlined in Trump's 20-point peace plan to be modelled 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.

Egyptian military intelligence also has ties with Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades.  MEE reported earlier that Hamas wants Turkish troops to deploy to Gaza to guarantee the ceasefire, but the two Arab officials and a former senior US official said Israel objects to a Turkish presence.

The Egyptian request, which has been communicated publicly and privately, is likely to test Trump's appetite for a deeper military footprint in Gaza. One former senior US official familiar with the request said it was a nonstarter.

However, there are some signs that the US is preparing for a bigger military footprint in Israel's neighborhood already. US military personnel at the Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar have shifted to Jordan for the coming months, one Arab official told MEE.

The military personnel belong to risk and security assessment teams, effectively managing security at the US military base. Current and former US and Arab officials told MEE that the move could signal the US is preparing for more troops to arrive in the region. Trump's plan has listed Jordan and Egypt as key security partners in Gaza.

The deployment of US troops to Gaza is just one of many sensitive points that negotiators meeting in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh this week have to address to end Israel's war on Gaza as it approaches the two-year mark.

Arab and Muslim countries were angered when Trump unveiled his plan last week. Although he recognized two of their key demands - a permanent end to the war and no forced displacement from Gaza - he did not commit to a Palestinian state and left room for Israel to stall its withdrawal from Gaza.