US Ambassador Questions Plan Amid Coordination Center Concerns
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
U.S. The Pentagon plans to reduce its presence at the coordination center, and it's unclear if civilian or other international bodies can fill the gap.
The story in 1 line · by baba
- It remains unclear who will fill the roles vacated by the Pentagon's reduced presence.
U.S. administration, according to a report by Politico citing a cable sent by the ambassador. The Pentagon intends to reduce its personnel presence at the center and transfer some tasks to civilian hands within the coming year. However, the ambassador stated it remains unclear who will fill the resulting void. "The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is not currently staffed to take on these roles," Huckaby wrote, as reported by Politico. He indicated the embassy could adapt but only after clarification on the required human, financial, and logistical resources. Huckaby also noted that the Peacekeeping Council is working to expand its staff but added, "it is still unclear if it will be able to fulfill all the roles" at the center.
The Peacekeeping Council's official roadmap designates an international stabilization force to assist in securing aid, training Palestinian police, and implementing the process, alongside disarming the Strip and transferring authority from Hamas to a new administration. However, months after the plan's presentation, Hamas and the continued disarmament remain major challenges. Huckaby's cable thus highlights a critical question for Israel: can the international mechanism underpinning the American plan effectively assume responsibility on the ground, especially for tasks with direct security implications? Israel has consistently emphasized that withdrawal and territory transfer cannot rely solely on declarations and that effective disarmament of Hamas is a key component of any future arrangement.
The report emerges as the Peacekeeping Council seeks to advance the practical phase of the plan. Recent reports suggested that its personnel estimate that preparatory work over recent months will allow for accelerated progress after the U.S. midterm elections and Israeli elections. The message conveyed by Huckaby's cable, however, indicates that practical questions regarding personnel, budgets, and the international mechanism's capacity to bear its assigned responsibilities also exist within the American administration.