This is how Gaza is monitored from a base in southern Israel

SadaNews Translation - After midnight, the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Ahronot published a report about the work of the Civil-Military Coordination Headquarters established in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, which has been visited in recent days by senior American officials.

The newspaper states in its report, as translated by SadaNews, that for years, the internationalization of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been Israel's biggest nightmare, but this occurred last month, amid the ceasefire and President Donald Trump's plan.

The newspaper points out that what is happening at the Civil-Military Coordination Headquarters in Kiryat Gat is clear evidence of this, noting that there are not only American forces but also soldiers from countries that have waged a fierce diplomatic war against Israel during the war on Gaza.

The newspaper describes the headquarters as a kind of small American base, but it includes soldiers from France, Spain, and other countries, indicating that these two countries are considered among the most critical of Israel in the West. All this comes at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tries to defend this step and downplay its significance by claiming that it is merely a facility operated jointly with the United States.

The newspaper mentions that the Israeli army appointed Major General Yaakov Dolfin, who is the commander of the Northern Corps and the former military secretary to ministers Benny Gantz and Yoav Galant, as its representative at the headquarters.

According to the newspaper, during a tour of the site, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that it is evident to all that the place is managed by just one country: the United States, which alone flies its flag at the site without the Israeli flag, which appeared only during U.S. Vice President G.D. Vance's tour.

The report adds that many Israeli soldiers were present at the site, many of whom are reservists, but they also realize that the Americans are in control and that they own the place, with soldiers from Germany, France, Australia, Greece, Britain, Jordan, the UAE, and other countries also present.

Representatives of civil society organizations and members of the Red Cross visited the site, while the U.S. State Department appointed a new director for the place, former ambassador to Yemen Steve Fagin, who visited the site alongside Rubio on Friday. His mission will be to coordinate civil-military activities at the site.

The newspaper states, according to SadaNews's translation, that Fagin and everyone inside the site or the small base have one central task: to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

It adds: From here, they coordinate the entry of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, and from here they receive regular updates shown on a large screen, with messages taken from open sources, social media, etc.: When the last aid trucks entered, and when social media from Gaza reported a shortage of vegetables, fruits, cheese, and other goods.

In the center of the site, two posters are hung showing Trump’s 20-point plan, and to improve the sound quality at the site, the Americans covered the area with artificial grass.

It continues: It can be estimated that thanks to the close presence of the Americans, who literally monitor what happens in the Gaza Strip minute by minute, they will not allow Israel to resume firing as quickly under the condition of Hamas refraining from delivering additional bodies.

In a related context, the New York Times revealed yesterday that the U.S. military began using drones in recent days to scout the skies over Gaza to ensure compliance by Israel and Hamas with the ceasefire agreement.

The newspaper quoted Israeli military officials and a Pentagon official that the drones were used to monitor operational activities in Gaza with Israel's consent.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, indicated that they were unable to share the flight path of those aircraft.

Officials pointed out that the monitoring missions are carried out in support of the Civil-Military Coordination Center established by the U.S. Central Command last week, south of Israel, to monitor the ceasefire.

The ceasefire agreement came after two years of war, during which Tel Aviv and Washington coordinated their operations with drones to gather and share intelligence and locate hostages.

However, these new missions for American drones indicate the officials' desire in Washington to gain a specific and independent understanding of what is happening in the strip, away from the Israeli narrative, according to the newspaper.

American and Israeli officials expressed surprise at the surveillance operations initiated by Washington in Gaza, given the close military relationships between the two countries.

Daniel B. Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Israel during President Barack Obama’s tenure and special envoy to Israel concerning Iran under Joe Biden, said: "If there were transparency and full trust between Israel and the United States, Washington would not need this. But it is clear that Washington wants to exclude any misunderstandings."

Several officials from within the Trump administration stated that there are concerns within the administration about the possibility of Netanyahu withdrawing from the agreement.