US said to complain of Israeli surveillance at Gaza coordination hub; IDF says claim ‘absurd’

American and international staff at the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat have raised concerns over Israeli representatives allegedly covertly and overtly conducting surveillance at the center, according to a report by The Guardian, citing anonymous sources briefed on the issue.

According to the sources, Israeli intelligence gathering at the center – which is tasked with monitoring the Gaza ceasefire and hosts representatives from dozens of countries and organizations – led the US commander of the base, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, to meet with an Israeli counterpart, warning him that “recording has to stop here.”

The IDF declined to comment to The Guardian on Frank’s alleged demand to halt recording, noting that conversations within the CMCC are unclassified.

“The IDF documents and summarizes meetings in which it is present through protocols, as any professional organization of this nature does in a transparent and agreed-upon manner,” the Israeli military tells the British newspaper in a statement.

“The claim that the IDF is gathering intelligence on its partners in meetings in which the IDF is an active participant is absurd,” the statement adds.

Additional staff and foreign visitors at the CMCC have also “raised concerns about Israel recording” inside the center, the report continues, saying that some have been urged not to share sensitive information to avoid the risk it could be “collected and exploited.”

The US military declined to comment to The Guardian on the alleged Israeli surveillance activities.