US flies drones over Gaza Strip to monitor ceasefire situation on the ground: Report

The US has begun flying surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip to ensure that both Israel and Hamas are abiding by the terms of the ceasefire, which is hanging by a thread after last week’s Israeli attacks in the region.

Two Israeli military officials and a US defence official have told the New York Times that the surveillance drones have been flying to monitor the ground situation in Gaza with the consent of Israel.

The officials added that the drones have been deployed to support the tasks of a new Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, established last week by the US Central Command, to keep the ceasefire efforts in check.

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While the US military has previously used drones over Gaza to help locate hostages, its latest reconnaissance missions indicate that American officials now seek an independent understanding of conditions inside the territory, separate from Israel’s assessments.

Vance concludes Israel trip

Israel’s attack last week in Gaza, which was launched in response to the death of soldiers, triggered a string of diplomatic trips from the US. Apart from President Donald Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance, and State Secretary Marco Rubio have taken trips to Israel over the week.

During his visit, Vance said that the ceasefire is “going better than expected” and that it will hold. He also said that Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, could be rebuilt in two to three years.

Vance said Palestinians will be able to move into a “Hamas-free zone” in southern Gaza in the next couple of months.” Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv before boarding Air Force Two, Vance said the goal is for people to be able to return to Rafah. He added that reconstruction could begin “very quickly” in areas no longer under Hamas control.

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What has Rubio said?

Rubio voiced hope Friday of soon putting together an international force to police the ceasefire in Gaza, as Palestinian factions agreed that a committee of independent technocrats would run the post-war territory.

Rubio said the deal needed to create “the conditions for the stabilisation force to come in as soon as it possibly can be put together”.

He expressed optimism for a durable end to the two-year Gaza war as he met Israeli, US and other Western forces monitoring the ceasefire from inside a vast converted warehouse in southern Israel.

With inputs from agencies