US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Israel, coming right after US Vice President JD Vance’s visit, illustrates how the US is investing heavily in peace in Gaza. The White House wants the ceasefire to last.
Rubio visited the new US Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), which the US has established alongside the IDF and other partners at a site in Kiryat Gat. This important initiative began on October 17, just days after the ceasefire started.
Vance was the first high-profile official to visit the site, along with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “Bringing together stakeholders who share the goal of successful stabilization in Gaza is essential for a peaceful transition,” US Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said last week.
“Over the next two weeks, US personnel will integrate representatives from partner nations, non-governmental organizations, international institutions, and the private sector as they arrive to the coordination center.”
Rubio’s visit now shows how an “all hands on deck” approach is taking shape. The goal is to ensure that Hamas is sidelined in Gaza.
Another apparent objective is to change how aid is delivered in the future so that groups like UNRWA play a smaller role. Ynet noted last week that “at the newly established US-led command center in Kiryat Gat, multinational troops representing a wide array of countries - including the United States, France, Britain, Spain, Australia, Greece and Cyprus - gathered Friday, alongside senior officials from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Denmark, and the US ambassador to Yemen.”
US Lt.-Gen. Patrick Frank leading hundreds of personnel at site
US Lt.-Gen. Patrick Frank is leading the several hundred personnel at the site, with a British officer serving as his deputy. Rubio examined the operations there. The goal is stability in Gaza.
“The command’s large operations hangar features screens showing live news feeds and aid convoys, and is equipped with synthetic turf to improve acoustics. One displayed report highlighted a United Arab Emirates convoy entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing, while another flagged shortages of vegetables, fruit and cheese in the enclave,” Ynet noted.
The US is also expanding the State Department’s role in the initiative. According to the US State Department on Thursday, “US Ambassador Steven Fagin will serve as the civilian lead of the Civil-Military Coordination Center, which is supporting the implementation of the President’s 20 Point Peace Plan for Gaza.”
The statement about Fagin’s appointment notes that he is “a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.” He has served as US Ambassador to Yemen since 2022 and previously was Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Baghdad (2020–21), Principal Officer at the US Consulate General in Erbil (2018–20), Director of the State Department’s Office of Iranian Affairs (2015–18), and Director of the Regional Affairs Office in the Department’s South and Central Asia Bureau (2013–15), the State Department said.
Bringing together a career foreign service officer who has been an ambassador and also led a consulate in the key Kurdistan Region of Iraq, along with US military personnel, illustrates how the US is coordinating at the highest levels with experienced officials to make things work in Gaza.
Rubio’s visit, therefore, helped cement the next stage of what may happen in Gaza. The goal is to ensure that the approach remains peaceful and supports Gaza’s long road to recovery, while addressing Israel’s concerns and those of other countries in the region.