The U.S. military has established a Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel to oversee ceasefire implementation and facilitate humanitarian assistance for Gaza stabilization efforts.
The U.S. military has opened a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) near Gaza, aimed at overseeing the implementation of a ceasefire and facilitating humanitarian assistance from international partners. This initiative comes just five days after world leaders endorsed a U.S.-brokered plan to end the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
On Friday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) inaugurated the CMCC in southern Israel, which is intended to serve as the primary hub for stabilization efforts in Gaza. According to a news release, the CMCC will play a crucial role in coordinating the flow of humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance from international counterparts into the region.
Sources indicated that approximately 200 U.S. troops have arrived in Israel, accompanied by a C-17 transport plane loaded with command-and-control equipment and supplies. It is important to note that U.S. military personnel will not be deployed into Gaza itself; their focus will remain on facilitating support from outside the territory.
“Bringing together stakeholders who share the goal of successful stabilization in Gaza is essential for a peaceful transition,” stated CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper in the release. He emphasized that over the next two weeks, U.S. personnel will integrate representatives from partner nations, non-governmental organizations, international institutions, and the private sector as they arrive at the coordination center.
The CMCC is also tasked with overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. It features an operations floor designed to monitor real-time developments in Gaza, ensuring that all parties are informed and coordinated in their efforts.
According to reports, the CMCC is strategically located a few miles northeast of Gaza. The establishment of the center has been led by U.S. Army Central commander Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, with about 200 service members specializing in transportation, planning, security, logistics, and engineering contributing to its creation.
Adm. Cooper expressed pride in the efforts of the team that built the CMCC, stating, “They can take great pride in knowing that they have built something that is critical to enabling the transition to civilian governance in Gaza.”
As part of the stabilization efforts, addressing the extensive tunnel network beneath Gaza City will be essential. These tunnels must be filled to ensure the ground is stable enough for construction and other activities.
However, the process has faced delays, particularly due to Hamas’s failure to return all 28 bodies of deceased hostages, which has hindered the commencement of the next phase of operations. Israel remains committed to recovering every hostage’s remains and recently received the bodies of seven identified hostages, along with one Palestinian who was mistakenly included among them.
This newly established coordination center represents a significant step in the U.S. military’s efforts to support stabilization and humanitarian initiatives in Gaza, amid ongoing complexities in the region.
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