US names envoy to oversee Gaza ceasefire operations
Shafaq News – Washington
The US Department of State has appointed Ambassador Steven Fagin to head the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), established to oversee the Gaza ceasefire and coordinate humanitarian and security operations on the ground.
The CMCC, based in Israel, was created as part of the 2025 Israel–Hamas ceasefire agreement. It serves as the main operational hub for monitoring compliance, managing aid delivery, and coordinating logistical transitions. Led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom, Qatar, and Egypt, the center reflects a broader international effort to stabilize Gaza, with potential future contributions from the UAE, Germany, Jordan, and Turkiye.
According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Fagin will serve as the diplomatic counterpart to Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM). The ambassador will work alongside civilian and military staff at the center, including around 200 US troops.
Fagin, a veteran diplomat, most recently served as US ambassador to Yemen, operating from Riyadh. He previously served as deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Baghdad from 2020 to 2021 and as consul general at the US Consulate in Erbil between 2018 and 2020.
Earlier, Rubio said that Israel has set conditions for any international security force in Gaza, insisting that contributing countries must be acceptable to Israel and that Hamas will have no role in the enclave’s future.
