US to 'close' its flagship Gaza mission as Trump plan stalls

A US military-run centre near Gaza that critics say failed in its mission to monitor the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and boost aid flows to besieged Palestinians is set to be shut by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The closing of the ‌Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel would mark the latest blow to President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, already undermined by repeated Israeli attacks since the October truce and a refusal by Hamas ​to lay down its arms.

Diplomats ⁠and officials said the move, which has not been previously reported, underscores the difficulties facing US efforts to oversee the truce and coordinate on aid, ‌as Israel seizes more Gaza territory and Hamas firms its ‌grip in areas under its control.

The move could also add to unease among Washington's allies, whom Trump encouraged to deploy personnel to the CMCC and commit funds for his Gaza rebuilding plan, effectively on hold since the US launched its joint war with Israel against Iran.

Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla shout slogans as they walk towards the airport of Heraklion, on the island of Crete, Greece, on Friday. Reuters

According to seven diplomats familiar with CMCC operations, the US-led centre will soon be shut and its aid and ‌monitoring responsibilities handed to a US-commanded international security mission that is meant to deploy to Gaza.

US officials have privately described the move as an overhaul, but diplomats said it would in effect shutter the centre once ⁠the International Stabilization Force (ISF) takes over.

A diplomat briefed on the US plan said that the number of US troops working at the revamped ISF would drop to 40 from around 190. The US would seek to replace those troops with civilian staff from other countries, the diplomats said. All of them spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

Diplomats say the CMCC lacked authority to enforce the ceasefire or ensure aid, making it unclear whether folding it into the ISF would have much practical effect on the ground.

Displaced Palestinians queue to receive a food portion from a charity kitchen in the Bureij refugee camp. AFP

An official with Trump's so-called Board of Peace, set up to oversee Gaza policy, declined to comment on the CMCC's future but said the centre plays a "critical role in ensuring aid deliveries and coordinating efforts" and advancing Trump's plan.

The White House and the ​US military's Middle East command both referred requests for comment to the Board of Peace.

Once the CMCC is folded into the ISF, the centre is expected to be rebranded ‌as the International Gaza Support Centre, two of the sources said. It would likely be led by US Major General Jasper Jeffers, the White House-appointed ISF commander.

The ISF was supposed to deploy immediately to Gaza to establish control and maintain security. But that is yet to happen with only a handful of countries having so far pledged troops, and none of them have committed to security roles.

Washington has said ⁠US troops would not deploy to Gaza.

Reuters