The United States is planning to shut down a military-operated coordination center located near Gaza that was established to oversee the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and improve humanitarian aid flows to the Strip, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the decision.
The closure of the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), located in the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, represents another significant challenge to US President Donald Trump’s broader Gaza strategy.
Diplomats and officials quoted by Reuters indicated that the move, which has not been previously reported, highlights the serious obstacles facing American attempts to supervise the fragile truce and coordinate humanitarian assistance.
The decision may also create discomfort among Washington’s allies. Trump had urged several countries to contribute personnel to the CMCC and commit financial resources to his Gaza reconstruction initiative, which has been effectively suspended since the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran began.
Seven diplomats familiar with the center’s operations told Reuters that the US-led CMCC will soon be closed, with its responsibilities for aid coordination and monitoring transferred to a US-commanded International Stabilization Force (ISF) scheduled to deploy in Gaza.
US officials have described the change internally as an overhaul, but multiple diplomats stated that it will effectively result in the shutdown of the CMCC once the ISF assumes control.
One diplomat briefed on the plan revealed that the number of US troops assigned to the restructured ISF will be reduced from approximately 190 to just 40. The United States intends to fill the gap by bringing in civilian personnel from other nations.
The official social media account of the Board of Peace formed by Trump rejected the report, writing, “Any claim that the CMCC is closing is wrong."
The post added that “the CMCC is advancing its efforts every day to continue delivering aid at a level unprecedented in modern history", adding that food aid is reaching three times more people than before, aid diversion has dwindled from 90% to less than 1% and citing the United Nations which said that nutrition has improved dramatically.
“The CMCC also has played a critical role in advancing security. The ceasefire has continued to hold despite all the predictions from so-called experts. We now have a pathway to the establishment of a transitional government in Gaza and the International Stabilization Force. Quite simply, life for the people of Gaza gets better on a daily basis. The CMCC has been an essential part of this story and will continue to be mission critical to our efforts," the post said
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)