The US military-led “coordination center” tasked with implementing President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Syria is replacing it as its sole overseer of the enclave, the Washington Post reports.
As reported by the US outlet, the transition was completed on Friday and the Israelis remain just “interlocutors”, while decisions will now be made by the enlarged body, a US official said. This effectively means that decision-making on humanitarian aid to Gaza is transferred from COGAT – the Israel Defense Forces unit that was responsible for regulating and facilitating aid to Gaza – to
Israel plays a secondary role in terms of humanitarian aid
In the newspaper’s report, sources with knowledge of the matter argued that this change relegates Israel to a secondary role in determining how and what kind of humanitarian aid can enter Gaza. Since the cease-fire in Gaza began last month, humanitarian aid—although improved—remains significantly limited by Israel.
More than 40 countries and organizations are represented at the U.S.-led center, and “one of the benefits … of bringing them all together is that it really allows you to separate the truth from the rumor and get a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground, where the needs are,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said in an interview.
Little help has gone through so far
So far, according to the Washington Post, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have opened only two entry points for aid to Gaza, with most aid passing through Kerem Shalom in the south. There have been no direct missions to northern Gaza since early September. Many of the trucks they are allowed to pass through, according to the United Nations, are carrying commercial goods for sale in Gaza’s markets, goods that few residents have the money to buy.
The crossing point between Jordan and Israel, over the Allenby Bridge in Jordan — through which large amounts of aid are expected to pass — has remained closed for most of the year. Most international aid organizations have been effectively barred from transporting food into Gaza for months, as Israel imposed new, tougher registration rules, which the organizations refused to sign.
