As part of a broader effort to ensure adherence to Gaza ceasefire deal, the US military has deployed surveillance drones over Gaza to monitor compliance, according to the New York Times.
After obtaining Israel’s consent, US drones have been conducting monitoring missions over the Palestinian enclave, two Israeli military officials and a US defense official told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
Currently, US drone operators are carrying out the missions from the newly established Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel.
The US has previously conducted reconnaissance flights over the Palestinian enclave to help locate hostages. However, the latest deployment means that Washington seeks to be independent from the Israeli operations.
“There’s going to be ups and downs and twists and turns, but I think we have a lot of reason for healthy optimism about the progress that’s being made,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said while touring the Civil-Military Coordination Center on Friday.
The center also vowed to “help facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical and security assistance from international counterparts” into Gaza.
The current move comes amid mounting concerns among the US government that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may withdraw from the ceasefire agreement.
“If there was total transparency and total trust between Israel and the US there wouldn’t be a need for this. But obviously the US wants to eliminate any possibility of misunderstanding,” Daniel B. Shapiro, former US ambassador to Israel, said.
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