The US-backed Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in southern Israel’s Kiryat Gat continues to grow as efforts to stabilize Gaza ramp up. The center, created on October 17 by US Central Command (CENTCOM), now involves nearly 50 countries and organizations. The CMCC is co-led by Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, commander of US Army Central (USARCENT), and US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin.
On November 20, FDD’s Long War Journal visited the CMCC, which is located in a large warehouse-style building. The structure has an expansive floor roughly the size of half a football field that features a large screen at one end showing various information, including a massive map and a daily agenda. The map prominently displays the “Yellow Line” that divides areas of Gaza controlled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from the rest of the territory. The IDF controls around 50 percent of the enclave, and Hamas appears to remain in control of most of the rest.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution supporting the US-backed ceasefire on November 17, a development that assists various operations supporting the plan, including the CMCC. CENTCOM representatives did not provide LWJ with an exact breakdown of the entities currently working together at the facility, but at least 21 countries and 20 organizations are involved. During LWJ’s visit on November 20, troops from the US and Italy were present, and several door signs indicated that UK and UAE personnel also had a presence.
LWJ witnessed real-time monitoring of Gaza, as well as working groups that were focused on different issues. One screen showed reports from the last 48 hours in Gaza, including one detailing a ceasefire violation that happened the previous morning, November 19. The report said that “an IDF on patrol in the Green Zone in Khan Younis received sniper fire.” The display also showed that the overall number of violations appeared to have declined from a high of roughly 18 in a week in October to fewer than 10 per week in most of November. In a separate area, a whiteboard featured notes about de-conflicting an area of Gaza near the coast.
A slide on another monitor displayed a draft of a program focused on employing locals in Gaza, including procedures for recruiting, screening, assessing, hiring, and training. The complex proposed process included a plan for screening applicants for fitness level and affiliation with Hamas or another terror group, as well as interviews and “basic police training.” Potential training locations included Gaza, Egypt, and Jordan. The draft appeared to indicate that some Gazans had already been recruited, perhaps as part of an earlier program.
CENTCOM Spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins noted that when the CMCC was first established, around 200 US troops were involved. This early organization resulted in the site’s current layout, with a large open floor split into several key working groups, each using tables, computers, data links, and whiteboards. “Now that we have that [setup], hundreds of international representatives have come in because they have a place. We no longer need as many military personnel, so we [now] have around 150 military folks, and that will decrease,” Hawkins noted. His comments echoed comments by other US officials and reports in local media outlets that the US will further reduce its military role.
Hawkins stated that the facility’s creation was “unprecedented … in establishing a CMCC and bringing in so many partners so quickly to help facilitate a process that provides an opportunity for different sides to work toward achieving lasting peace.” He added that “it speaks to the commitment of us and our partners in implementing the president’s Gaza peace plan.”
On the floor, the various working groups focus on distinct issues, such as engineering, civil governance, humanitarian aid coordination, and security. Hawkins noted that the CMCC’s main focus is facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. For instance, on November 13, CENTCOM said that it had worked with an international organization to clear debris from a major road in Gaza. By the end of October, around 600 aid trucks were entering the territory daily, and this number has since increased to around 900.
Hawkins stated that the secondary focus of the CMCC is monitoring the ceasefire, which has seen near-daily violations. For example, on November 1, CENTCOM issued a report about Hamas looting an aid truck.
The US ceasefire plan and the more recent UN resolution backing it envision a second stage in Gaza where a stabilization force will play a role. CENTCOM said on October 21 that “US military personnel will not deploy into Gaza,” and other countries are expected to contribute forces. However, as of the third week of November, it was unclear who would participate. If this force materializes, it will be separate from the CMCC, CENTCOM indicated.
Without US forces in Gaza, the CMCC relies on “nations and organizations who have been on the ground and remain on the ground,” said Hawkins. “You have those representatives identifying where the points of need are and finding solutions together about how to navigate the barriers and obstacles to the points and removing those barriers.” He says these local facilitators help lead to the “free flow and distribution of aid,” which he noted “is critical to Gaza stabilization.” Asked about the specific on-the-ground organizations supporting the CMCC’s efforts, Hawkins did not specify any and said questions should be directed to those unnamed entities.
There is an increased focus on the US role in the CMCC in Western and regional media. Al Arabiya noted on November 22 that the IDF-controlled portion of Gaza could become a new “Green Zone,” a reference to the US enclave in Baghdad during the Iraq War. “The United States is moving forward with its plans to build communities for Palestinians on the Israeli side of the Gaza border,” the report also claimed. Other reports have focused on how CMCC staff are learning about Gaza and the optimism among military and civilian personnel at the facility.
Correction: This piece was updated to reflect the number of violations displayed on a screen at the CMCC as “18 per week” in October to fewer than “10 per week” in November, rather than “per day.”
