U.S. deploys surveillance drones over Gaza amid fragile ceasefire

• The U.S. is operating surveillance drones to monitor compliance with the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The UAVs provide independent verification of ground activity to reduce risks of renewed hostilities.
• This marks a notable shift—Washington is independently verifying ceasefire adherence rather than relying solely on Israeli intelligence. The move reflects increasing distrust between the U.S. and Netanyahu’s government.
• A U.S.-led coordination center in southern Israel, staffed by around 200 personnel, oversees ceasefire monitoring and humanitarian aid efforts. Recent attacks on aid convoys by Israeli extremists complicate aid delivery.
• The truce remains precarious, with Hamas accusing Israel of violations and Israel claiming Hamas hasn’t fully released hostages. Netanyahu faces pressure from hardliners to resume military operations, particularly in Rafah.
• The drone deployment highlights both cooperation and friction in U.S.-Israel intelligence sharing. Past incidents (e.g., 1967 USS Liberty attack) underscore potential risks if hostilities resume with U.S. forces present.

The United States has begun operating surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip in recent days as part of an international effort to monitor compliance with a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to Israeli and American military officials.

The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), flown with Israel’s consent, aim to provide independent verification of ground activity in Gaza, reducing the risk of renewed hostilities. The move comes amid heightened tensions following sporadic violence and disputes over the exchange of deceased Israelis and Palestinians.

The deployment of U.S. reconnaissance drones marks a notable shift in Washington’s role in the conflict. While Israel has long relied on its own drone fleet for intelligence gathering and military operations, the Trump administration appears determined to independently verify ceasefire adherence rather than relying solely on Israeli assessments.

According to two Israeli military officials and a U.S. defense official who spoke anonymously, the drones are supporting a newly established Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, staffed by approximately 200 U.S. personnel. The center, overseen by U.S. Central Command, is tasked with monitoring the cease-fire and facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza—an effort complicated by recent attacks on aid convoys by Israeli extremists.

The U.S. previously used MQ-9 Reaper drones earlier in the war to assist in locating Hamas-held hostages. However, the latest surveillance flights suggest a broader effort to ensure transparency amid growing distrust between Washington and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Ceasefire under strain

The truce, brokered by American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators earlier this month, remains precarious. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who toured the coordination center last week, acknowledged the challenges but expressed cautious optimism.

“There’s going to be ups and downs and twists and turns, but I think we have a lot of reason for healthy optimism about the progress that’s being made,” Rubio said.

Yet behind the scenes, U.S. officials reportedly fear Netanyahu may abandon the agreement. The Israeli leader faces pressure from hardline factions within his government to resume military operations in Gaza, particularly in Rafah, where displaced civilians remain vulnerable. Meanwhile, Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire, while Israeli officials claim Hamas has failed to fully release hostages as promised.

The drone deployment highlights both cooperation and friction in the U.S.-Israel security relationship. Washington provides Israel with billions in military aid annually and the two nations routinely share intelligence—including during joint airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year.

However, the decision to independently surveil Gaza signals a rare moment of divergence. Daniel B. Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, noted the unusual nature of the move: “If there was total transparency and total trust between Israel and the U.S., there wouldn’t be a need for this.”

The situation echoes past tensions, such as Israel’s 1967 attack on the USS Liberty, which killed 34 American servicemen. BrightU.AI‘s Enoch cites this as an incident some analysts believe was intended to conceal Israeli military actions. While no such hostilities are anticipated now, the presence of U.S. troops and drones in Gaza introduces new risks if fighting resumes.

As the ceasefire hangs in the balance, the U.S. drone missions underscore Washington’s attempt to assert oversight while navigating a fraught alliance with Israel. With humanitarian conditions deteriorating in Gaza and political pressures mounting in both nations, the coming weeks will test whether external monitoring can sustain the truce—or if renewed conflict is inevitable. For now, American surveillance offers a fragile buffer against escalation, but the deeper divisions between allies remain unresolved.

Watch the video below that talks about how Israel is losing U.S. support.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net

NYTimes.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com