According to a report in The Washington Post, the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), which is responsible for implementing President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, will replace Israel as the main body overseeing humanitarian aid to the enclave. This change comes despite several officials familiar with the center's early operations describing them as "chaotic and indecisive."
In a transition completed on Friday, Israeli representatives are now "part of the discussion," but decision-making authority rests with the broader international body, a US official said. The move marks a shift from COGAT, the IDF unit responsible for coordinating and facilitating aid to Gaza, to the new American-led Civil-Military Coordination Center, based in southern Israel near the Gaza border.
Several officials familiar with the process said the change effectively downgrades Israel's role in determining how and what humanitarian assistance is allowed into Gaza, as the US-led center assumes primary control. Since last month's cease-fire in Gaza, humanitarian aid has improved somewhat but remains significantly restricted by Israel.
More than 40 countries and organizations are represented in the American-led center. "One of the advantages of bringing everyone together is that it really allows you to separate fact from fiction and get a clearer picture of what's happening on the ground, where the needs are," said Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the US Central Command, in an interview.
