‘US diplomats and troops to monitor Gaza truce’: Marco Rubio

Secretary of state Marco Rubio said Friday that a growing number of diplomats would work with US military officers at a new center in Israel aimed at monitoring the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as the Trump administration maintains pressure on Israel to stick to the deal. Rubio made the remarks while touring the new facility, the Civil-Military Coordination Center, on Friday in Kiryat Gat, in southern Israel. “There’s going to be ups and downs and twists and turns, but we have a lot of reason for optimism about the progress that’s being made,” he said.Rubio also reiterated that the Trump administration might seek a mandate from the United Nations for an international peacekeeping force in at least part of Gaza.Palestinian factions to hand Gaza to technocrat committeeThe main Palestinian political factions, including Hamas, said Friday they have agreed that an independent committee of technocrats would take over the running of post-war Gaza. In a joint statement, the factions said the committee would “manage the day-to-day affairs and basic services”. It called for a meeting of all forces and factions to “agree on a national strategy and to revitalise the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole representative of Palestinian people”.