Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that an increasing number of diplomats would be collaborating with American military officers at a new center in Israel. This initiative aims to closely monitor the Gaza cease-fire, reflecting the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to ensure Israel adheres to the peace agreement.
Rubio’s comments came during his tour of the new Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel. This marked the second visit by high-ranking administration officials to the facility this week, underscoring its importance.
He expressed a cautiously optimistic outlook, stating, “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.”
High-ranking U.S. officials have consistently visited Israel to emphasize the critical importance of the cease-fire to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Trump and his team are reportedly concerned that the Israeli leader might withdraw from the agreement.
This two-week-old truce has brought a halt to Israel’s devastating conflict in Gaza, a war that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians and left much of the territory in ruins. The conflict began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The cease-fire remains fragile, punctuated by isolated acts of violence. So far, Hamas has released 20 living hostages and the remains of 15 deceased captives, while Israel has, in turn, released almost 2,000 imprisoned Palestinians.
Earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance addressed the center, accompanied by Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy who played a key role in negotiating the cease-fire, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, who also contributed to brokering the agreement.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. military forces in the Middle East, announced the center’s creation, stating its purpose was “to support stabilization efforts.” He confirmed that 200 U.S. troops were involved in setting up the facility, clarifying that these soldiers would not be deployed within Gaza itself.
Before his flight to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Rubio briefed reporters on the Trump administration’s vision for the coordination center.
He stated, “We’ll be assigning some career-experienced State Department personnel to sort of be there to help coordinate all these efforts.” He emphasized the immediate need to sustain the cease-fire, particularly over the coming weeks.
On Friday, Rubio further announced that allied nations and non-governmental organizations would also contribute their expertise to the center. He confirmed the United States’ readiness to collaborate with the United Nations on humanitarian aid and other crucial components of the peace plan.
Rubio also reiterated the Trump administration’s potential plan to seek a United Nations mandate for an international peacekeeping force, which would operate in at least a portion of Gaza.
He clarified that this would entail gathering all nations willing to contribute personnel and resources, stressing that participating countries must be those “that Israel is comfortable with.”
Rubio refrained from elaborating on the specifics of how such a force would be assembled or its operational details. He noted the reluctance of Arab states in the region to deploy troops to Gaza, citing concerns that their soldiers could face direct confrontation with Hamas.
Furthermore, the Trump administration has opposed recent actions by Israeli politicians regarding the annexation of the West Bank. The Israeli Knesset (Parliament) recently passed a largely symbolic motion, initiated by far-right lawmakers, advocating for the takeover of the occupied territory.
Following this vote, President Trump stated in a Time magazine interview that he would not permit Israel to annex the West Bank.
Rubio commented, “We don’t think it’s going to happen,” explaining that annexation would jeopardize the peace process, partly because regional nations would likely refuse participation.
Rubio had a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu at his Jerusalem office shortly after arriving in Tel Aviv on Thursday evening.
Following the meeting, Rubio conveyed that President Trump considers enforcing the cease-fire a “top priority,” asserting, “we’re going to get there despite substantial obstacles.” He highlighted that the U.S. is Israel’s primary source of military aid, with the president having authorized significant weapon shipments to the country since assuming office in January.
Rubio also mentioned his upcoming travel plans, which include joining President Trump in Qatar before heading to Asia this weekend for leadership summits in Malaysia and South Korea, with a stop in Japan in between.