Commander of the United States Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper is expected to arrive in Israel on Saturday for meetings with senior officials amid heightened regional tensions, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
According to the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya network, Cooper recently made a low-profile visit to Syria to assess whether Damascus was adhering to its ceasefire commitments with the Syrian Democratic Forces, after meeting Thursday with SDF leaders in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
Earlier Friday, Channel 12 news reported that White House adviser Jared Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are also set to land in Israel tomorrow for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They are expected to discuss Hamas and Gaza, with an emphasis on efforts to secure the return of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage still held in Gaza, as well as possible discussions regarding Iran.
Cooper last visited Israel in September, in what was his first official trip to Jerusalem since assuming command of CENTCOM.
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