00:00The Civil Military Coordination Center is a U.S. initiative for the stabilization of post-war Gaza
00:07following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect in October.
00:13About 150 U.S. soldiers are now based in a large warehouse in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat
00:19Ghat, about 20 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. All in all, about 600 people work daily from the site,
00:27Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command said, adding that 60 countries
00:34and international organizations are represented among them. The main goals for the United States
00:40are to help monitor the U.S.-sponsored ceasefire and support the entry of humanitarian aid into
00:46the Palestinian territory in accordance with Trump's peace plan. Hawkins said most of the
00:52American military personnel at the Coordination Center are specialists in civil engineering,
00:58transport, or strategic planning. On the Israeli side, soldiers from various branches of the
01:04military are present, notably Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories,
01:10the Defense Ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian Territories.
01:15Military personnel and diplomats from several countries, including France, Britain and the
01:27United Arab Emirates, are also present and participate in meetings on security and humanitarian issues
01:34in Gaza, devastated by more than two years of war. Many NGOs, development agencies and United Nations
01:43bodies are also represented and often consulted on operational issues, as delivering aid to Gaza is
01:50particularly complex. Although journalists have had access to the Coordination Center only during
01:56tightly supervised visits, many high-level foreign and Israeli officials have toured the center.
02:03In addition to Netanyahu, J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, and Egyptian General Sheriff Saleh have all visited.
02:10However, several diplomatic sources told AFP that European officials in contact with the Ramallah-based
02:17Palestinian Authority no longer have access to the facility, following a request by the Israelis to
02:24the Americans. In order to monitor the ceasefire in real time, U.S. officials receive information via
02:31partners, including Egypt, from Hamas about Israeli violations, which they cross-check with Israeli reports,
02:39several diplomatic, humanitarian and security sources told AFP. Israeli officials present in the
02:46Qiyat Gat warehouse also report Palestinian factions' ceasefire breaches directly to their U.S.
02:53counterparts. Since October 10, both sides have accused each other almost daily of ceasefire
03:00violations. The Trump administration has commented several times on various incidents, including Hamas'
03:07killing of civilians, Israeli airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties or deadly clashes between Israeli
03:14soldiers and Hamas fighters.
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