The United States has assumed control of Gaza’s humanitarian aid coordination from Israel under President Donald Trump’s peace plan, The Washington Post reported, describing the early stages of the transition as "chaotic and hesitant".
According to a US official cited by the paper, the handover was completed on Friday, with Israel now "part of the dialogue", but final decisions will rest with the new Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC). The centre replaces Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the army unit previously responsible for regulating aid to Gaza.
Several people familiar with the transition told WaPo that the move effectively sidelines Israel from deciding "how and what type" of aid enters Gaza. Since the October ceasefire, humanitarian deliveries have improved slightly but remain restricted by Israel.
The CMCC, led by the US, includes representatives from over 40 countries and organisations.
Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM), said: "One of the benefits of bringing everyone together is that it lets you separate fact from fiction and get a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground and where the needs are."
Despite the shift, the Israeli army has only opened two crossings for aid, with most supplies passing through Kerem Shalom. The UN says many trucks entering Gaza are commercial shipments that most residents cannot afford. Israel also closed the Allenby Bridge crossing with Jordan, leaving large quantities of aid stuck for months.
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said ahead of the transition that "Israel is obstructing the humanitarian provisions of Trump’s plan", adding: "For us, the United States’ active engagement is very good news."
The Washington Post noted that CENTCOM has increased its monitoring of Gaza, including the use of drones to track aid distribution and the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
A relief worker recently returned from the CMCC said: "As long as CENTCOM is active there, and as long as the US is putting its reputation on the line, I think we’ll see more US assets and operations run by the American military."
He added that public acknowledgment of drone flights 2was a signal that we’re not relying on Israeli army intelligence or its drones - we have our own assets operating."
Former Israeli general Yossi Kuperwasser described the US presence as "something completely new", but said "the information-sharing rules, in my view, are the same - anything valuable to Israel is shared".
The paper also quoted a source close to White House discussions who said Washington’s "sole vital strategic mission" now is "to manage Bibi [Benjamin Netanyahu] and make sure the fighting doesn’t resume".
Trump has called his Gaza initiative "a historic dawn for a new Middle East", aiming to expand the Abraham Accords. However, regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is expected to visit the White House this month, are seeking guarantees that the war has truly ended and that Israel will cede control of Gaza.
A White House source told the WaPo that Arab states "won’t agree to normalization" unless Netanyahu moves toward a Palestinian state, a step he has firmly rejected. "This is the right moment to pressure Netanyahu," the source said. "The question for Trump is: will he do it?"
CENTCOM said its mission is to "support stabilization efforts" and "facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance".
But several officials told the paper decision-making is slow due to the need for each government and organization to consult their own headquarters. One insider added: "I don’t think they have any money to do anything yet."
The plan also calls for an international stabilization force to train and oversee a new Palestinian police service, but Hamas’s disarmament remains unresolved. The group has said it would only hand over weapons to other Palestinians.
According to the Post, some senior Trump advisers are pushing for up to 16 "secure communities" behind Israeli lines in Gaza, where verified Palestinians could receive aid "for years" while disarmament and reconstruction plans unfold.
Aid agencies have largely rejected the proposal, warning it echoes previous Israel- and US-backed models that left hundreds of Palestinians dead.