Israeli officials are said to be moving forward with their and their allies in the new base – a command center recently built in the south to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire in .
The revelations of the surveillance and the recordings of the meetings have caused intense concern at the Center for Civil-Military Coordination (CMCC), which the US has set up to implement the Trump Plan. According to what the Guardian newspaper reports, the commander of the base, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, called his Israeli counterpart and asked him to stop the recordings immediately, while at the same time personnel from other countries have been forced to limit the exchange of sensitive information.
US military personnel have declined to comment on Israeli surveillance activities, while the Israeli military has said that talks at the CMCC are not classified and that it records and summarizes the meetings it participates in in a transparent and agreed upon manner.
What’s happening at CMCC
The CMCC was created in October to monitor the ceasefire and coordinate humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of Trump’s 20-point plan. Although the US is actively involved, Israel maintains control over the entry of goods into Gaza in the field, with the result that its restrictions remain the biggest obstacle to the entry of goods into the Strip. Discussions at the CMCC have led to some changes to the banned goods lists, however essential items such as school supplies remain excluded.
The base brings together military and diplomats from the US, Israel and other allies, but Palestinians are completely excluded from the process, not even allowed to participate via video calls. The CMCC building has a multi-story workspace with meeting areas and themed activities to restore basic services in Gaza, but many diplomats are concerned about upholding international law and mixing military and humanitarian functions.
US military involvement, however, appears to be decreasing, as many have already returned to their bases, while the implementation of the Gaza plan remains uncertain, given that Israel demands the disarmament of Hamas before the next phase of the ceasefire and there is no clear plan for its implementation.
