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In a move expected to further reduce U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the Trump administration plans to shut down the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), a monitoring hub created in cooperation with the international community to facilitate aid delivery to Gaza. According to sources familiar with the matter, cited by Reuters, the CMCC’s responsibilities will be transferred to the newly established International Stabilization Force (ISF), a reorganized structure that aims to streamline aid coordination and monitoring efforts.
The officials responsible for overseeing the transition describe the changes as a “restructuring” of the center’s operations, however, diplomats argue that the move effectively amounts to the closure of the CMCC. The centre, established with the primary objective of monitoring the implementation of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza, has consistently faced limitations in enforcing its decisions and ensuring the timely delivery of humanitarian aid.
Under the new structure, the U.S.-led ISF is expected to significantly reduce the U.S. military presence in the region, from the current 190 personnel to approximately 40 troops. In place of the military personnel, the reorganized force will increasingly rely on civilian staff recruited from partner countries, although it appears that few nations have so far committed to contributing forces.
According to available information, the rebranded International Gaza Support Centre will be headed by U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers, who has been appointed Commander of the ISF. Jeffers is expected to oversee the coordination of humanitarian aid efforts and the implementation of any future peace agreements in the region.
The move is widely seen as a manifestation of the Trump administration’s continued efforts to reduce the United States’ military and diplomatic engagement in the Middle Eastern conflict. In recent months, the administration has taken a series of steps to downsize and reorient U.S. involvement in the region, which are likely to have far-reaching implications for regional stability and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.