The US military-led coordination center, which is tasked with implementing US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Gaza Strip, is replacing Israel as the sole overseer of humanitarian aid to the enclave, the Washington Post reported.

As reported by the American media, the transition was completed on Friday and the Israelis remain simply interlocutors, while decisions will now be made by the expanded body, a US official said. This practically means that decision-making regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza is being transferred from COGAT — the Israel Defense Forces unit that was responsible for regulating and facilitating aid to Gaza — to the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) that was created in southern Israel, about 30 kilometers from the Gaza border.

Israel plays a secondary role in humanitarian aid

In the newspaper’s report, sources with knowledge of the matter said the change relegates Israel to a secondary role in determining how and what kind of humanitarian aid can enter Gaza. Since the Gaza ceasefire began last month, humanitarian aid — while improved — remains significantly restricted by Israel.

More than 40 countries and organizations are represented at the U.S.-led center, and one of the benefits… of bringing them all together is that it really allows you to separate truth from rumor and get a clearer picture of what's happening on the ground, where the needs are, Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said in an interview.

Little help has come so far.

So far, according to the Washington Post, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have opened only two entry points for aid to Gaza, with most of the aid passing through Kerem Shalom in the south. There have been no direct shipments to northern Gaza since early September. Many of the trucks allowed to pass, according to the United Nations, are carrying commercial goods for sale in Gaza markets, products that few residents have the money to buy.

The crossing between Jordan and Israel, over the Allenby Bridge in Jordan—through which large amounts of aid are expected to pass—has remained closed for most of the year. Most international aid agencies have been effectively blocked from transporting food into Gaza for months, as Israel imposed new, tougher registration rules, which the agencies have refused to sign.