Israel has been pushed to the margins at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat — the nerve center of the international effort to oversee Gaza’s fragile ceasefire — as the United States assumes near-total control of the operation, senior Israeli officials told Times of Israel.
Once expected to be the main architect of Gaza’s postwar transition, Israel now finds itself relegated to a supporting role under the growing umbrella of President Donald Trump’s sweeping 20-point peace plan, which is being fast-tracked to the United Nations Security Council for approval.
The CMCC, launched October 17 as part of Trump’s “International Stabilization Force” (ISF) framework, has become the de facto command center for ceasefire enforcement and humanitarian coordination. It hosts delegations from more than a dozen countries — including the U.S., Israel, Jordan, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Australia, France, Spain, and the UAE — but, according to Israeli officials, Washington has the final say on virtually every decision.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) — Israel’s Defense Ministry arm that previously managed all aid transfers to Gaza — now functions as a contractor under American direction.
“The Americans are making the calls,” said one Israeli defense official, confirming reports in The Washington Post. “Israel is consulted, but not in charge. We’ve gone from leading to subcontracting.”
Trump’s plan envisions a 20,000-strong multinational stabilization force — the ISF — taking over Gaza as the IDF completes its phased withdrawal. The force would have a two-year mandate, underpinned by a new UN Security Council resolution that codifies every element of Trump’s peace plan.
Speaking from the White House on Thursday, Trump declared, “Gaza is working out very well… You haven’t been hearing too much about problems.” He added that “many countries” have volunteered troops — though diplomats privately say several Arab states remain reluctant to confront Hamas on the ground.
According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Washington aims to secure a Security Council vote “in the coming weeks,” giving the ISF and the proposed civilian “Board of Peace” the international legitimacy needed to operate.
“We’ve been in steady contact with potential troop contributors — Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, and others — and almost all want a UN mandate before deploying,” a senior U.S. official told The Times of Israel.
The CMCC’s establishment followed the October 13 Sharm el-Sheikh declaration, signed by Trump and leaders of Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt. That agreement paved the way for a hostage deal that saw Hamas release 20 living hostages and return the remains of 23 others.
Trump plans to host the freed hostages and their families at the White House in the coming weeks, a symbolic capstone to what he has called “Phase One” of his peace initiative.
Meanwhile, Hamas has been reasserting control over parts of the territory vacated by Israeli troops since the October 10 truce, raising questions about the effectiveness of the ceasefire and the willingness of outside forces to intervene.
The U.S. has inserted Trump’s entire 20-point plan into the draft UN resolution, making it the legal framework for Gaza’s reconstruction and governance.
One section outlines the eventual handover of Gaza’s administration to the Palestinian Authority (PA) — but only once it has “satisfactorily completed its reform program.” The latest language softens that requirement slightly, tying it explicitly to Trump’s 2025 plan rather than leaving approval up to the Board of Peace.
The reforms cited in earlier drafts draw from the 2020 Trump peace plan and the Saudi-French initiative, which demand the abolition of the PA’s “pay-to-slay” prisoner stipends, elimination of anti-Israel incitement in school curricula, and new elections — the first since 2006.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas has pledged to meet those conditions, promising elections within a year of war’s end and an overhaul of the education system “in accordance with UNESCO standards.”
For Israel, the developments mark a stunning shift. The nation that once insisted on controlling every truck of aid entering Gaza is now watching the U.S. and a multinational coalition write the rulebook.
Israeli analysts warn that, despite Israel’s security presence nearby, its diplomatic leverage is evaporating.
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