JERUSALEM, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to shut a U.S.-led multinational coordinating centre that supports President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war.
Washington established the Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) last October as a centre for civilian and military personnel from other countries to work alongside U.S. and Israeli officials on post-war Gaza planning.
“The time has come to dismantle the headquarters in Kiryat Gat,” said Smotrich, the influential, far-right cabinet minister, in remarks shared by his office to media, referring to the Israeli city northeast of Gaza where the centre is based.
The Israeli prime minister’s office, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. military’s Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the remarks.
Smotrich also said that Britain, Egypt and other countries that are “hostile to Israel and undermine its security” should be removed from the CMCC. The British and Egyptian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Central Command in December said that 60 countries and organisations were represented at the centre. The CMCC has also been tasked with facilitating humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
The U.S.-led CMCC was established after Trump announced his 20-point plan to end the war. Germany, France, and Canada are also among countries that have sent personnel there.
Smotrich, speaking at an event marking the establishment of a new Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said that Hamas should be given a “very short” ultimatum to disarm and go into exile, and once that ultimatum expires, the military should storm Gaza with “full force” to destroy the militant group.
“Mr. Prime Minister, it’s either us or them. Either full Israeli control, the destruction of Hamas, and the continued long-term suppression of terrorism, encouragement of the enemy’s emigration outward and permanent Israeli settlement,” he said.
The plan, announced by Trump in September, states that members of Hamas who commit to peaceful coexistence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Those who want to leave Gaza will be given safe passage to other countries.
The White House last week announced that the president’s plan to end the war was moving to the second phase, which would include the demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza.
Under the initial phase of the plan, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza that went into effect in October.
Hamas also released the remaining living hostages abducted from Israel during the October 2023 attack, who had been held in Gaza since then. The remains of all but one deceased hostage have been handed over as well.
Since the ceasefire started, Israel has repeatedly carried out air strikes in Gaza which it has said were responding to or fending off attacks carried out by Palestinian militants.
Over 460 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer and Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem, additional reporting by Jana Choukeir in Dubai, Editing by William Maclean)
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