US Sends Drones Over Gaza to Keep an Eye on Ceasefire

The US monitoring of ceasefire compliance by Israel and Hamas now includes deploying surveillance drones over Gaza, an effort to gain an independent view of the situation on the ground. Israel has consented to the flights, American and Israeli officials said, which are connected to the new Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel. The American military said the center was established last week by US Central Command to facilitate the flow of humanitarian and security assistance into Gaza, as well as monitor the ceasefire, the New York Times reports.

An envoy and US ambassador to Israel under Democratic presidents described the monitoring as intrusive. "If there was total transparency and total trust between Israel and the US, there wouldn't be a need for this," Daniel B. Shapiro said, per the Times. "But obviously the U.S. wants to eliminate any possibility of misunderstanding." The ceasefire that was brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, has been tested by recent attacks and disputes over the exchange of bodies. A Pentagon spokesperson described the truce as fragile and said the new coordination center allows real-time monitoring of developments in Gaza.

Other nations have sent representatives to help the US effort, including Australia, France, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates, per the Times of Israel. Jordan, the UK, Germany, Denmark, and Canada already were participating. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday when he toured the center that more diplomats from other countries would be working with American military officers there. He said progress is being made while acknowledging "there's going to be ups and downs and twists and turns," per the Times.