Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a move signaling a significant shift in how humanitarian aid is managed in Gaza, the United States has assumed leadership of a new Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), effectively taking over supervisory authority from Israel. The center, established to implement President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, is now directing the flow of humanitarian assistance into the war-battered enclave, a development some observers describe as both “chaotic” and “hesitant” in its early weeks, according to The Washington Post.
The transition, finalized on Friday, marks the gradual handover of operational control from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) the Israeli military unit long responsible for aid facilitation, to the broader U.S.-led structure based in southern Israel near the Gaza border. An American official told reporters that while Israel “remains part of the dialogue,” decisions will now be made collectively by the wider international body.
Multiple officials familiar with the process say the change effectively sidelines Israel from determining the type and volume of aid entering Gaza. The CMCC now sets priorities and oversees logistics, a marked departure from Israel’s previous gatekeeping role, which humanitarian agencies long criticized for restricting supplies under the pretext of security. The center brings together representatives from over 40 countries and organizations, including European allies and UN-affiliated agencies.
Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said the purpose of this multinational framework is to “separate fact from fiction” and “gain a clearer understanding of needs and realities on the ground.”
A senior Israeli security official confirmed that U.S. forces are now actively involved in coordinating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. While Israel maintains a presence within the coordination process, decision-making authority has been formally transferred to the CMCC.
Despite a month-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, humanitarian access remains highly constrained. Most aid continues to enter through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza, with no direct deliveries to the north since early September. The United Nations reports that many trucks allowed through carry commercial goods for sale in Gaza’s markets items unaffordable for most residents after two years of devastating conflict.
Aid groups continue to face Israeli restrictions on “dual-use materials” items such as tent poles, scalpels, and medical ointments which Israel claims could be repurposed for military use. “Israel is still obstructing key humanitarian provisions in Trump’s plan,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “But the active U.S. engagement is, for us, very good news.” Egeland urged Washington to “translate the plan into concrete reality,” noting that American credibility was now “on the line.”
As part of its expanded involvement, CENTCOM has increased surveillance over Gaza, deploying MQ-9 Reaper drones to monitor aid distribution and the ceasefire’s implementation. A video released last week by the command purportedly showed Hamas fighters seizing a fuel truck in Khan Younis, in what U.S. officials described as an effort to pressure the group and maintain accountability on the ground. The U.S. insists, however, that no American troops will enter Gaza.
The CMCC, headquartered in a three-story building in Kiryat Gat, roughly 64 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem and 32 kilometers north of Gaza, comprises about 200 U.S. personnel, alongside Israeli officials, diplomats, and military representatives from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Civilian leadership of the center falls under Stephen Fagin, a veteran Foreign Service officer and former U.S. ambassador to Yemen, while military oversight remains with Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, head of CENTCOM operations in the region. The CMCC’s stated mission is to “support stabilization efforts, facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance, and monitor the implementation of the ceasefire.”
While President Trump has publicly lauded the Gaza ceasefire as a first step toward “a peaceful and prosperous future,” uncertainty remains over how much leverage Washington holds in ensuring Israeli compliance with the 20-point peace framework. Sources close to the White House told The Washington Post that Trump has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adhere to the terms of the plan, but “how far he is willing to go” remains unclear.
U.S. officials say continued CENTCOM involvement, both operational and symbolic is designed to maintain stability, reassure aid agencies, and preserve support from European and Middle Eastern partners. “The more CENTCOM stays engaged, the more credibility the process gains,” said one relief worker recently returned from the coordination center. “The message is clear: Washington is not relying solely on Israeli intelligence or surveillance. It has its own eyes in the sky.”
Israel, however, has rejected suggestions that it has been sidelined. Former Israeli general Yossi Kuperwasser, now with the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, said intelligence-sharing with the U.S. remains unchanged: “Everything valuable to Israel continues to be shared. The American presence is new, but the fundamentals of cooperation are the same.”
As Washington deepens its oversight role, the success of the new coordination structure and the broader peace initiative, will depend on whether the United States can balance diplomacy with control, ensuring that humanitarian promises in Gaza become tangible relief rather than another chapter of stalled peace efforts.
