US to close its flagship Gaza mission as Trump plan stalls
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
A U.S. military-run body 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 Center 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 said the move, which has not been previously reported, underscores the difficulties facing U.S. 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 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 U.S. launched its joint war with Israel against Iran.Trump-led board denies CMCC is closingAccording to the sources, seven diplomats familiar with CMCC operations, the U.S.-led body’s aid and monitoring responsibilities would soon be handed to a U.S.-commanded international security mission that is meant to deploy to Gaza. U.S. officials have privately described the move as an overhaul, but diplomats said the International Stabilization Force would in effect take over, ending the CMCC’s role.A diplomat briefed on the U.S. plan said that the number of U.S. troops working at the revamped ISF would drop to 40 from around 190. The U.S. 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 authorized 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.The Board of Peace denied in a statement posted on social m