US troops establishing civil-military coordination centre and will monitor Gaza with drones: Report

Around 200 US troops who have been deployed to Israel are establishing a civil-military coordination centre to monitor the Gaza ceasefire, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. 

The centre will use information from surveillance drones above Gaza and reports from international organisations. Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, the commander of the US Army Central Command, is leading the operation. 

The ceasefire has come under strain with Israel attacking parts of Gaza and blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave. The WSJ reported that US Central Command chief, Admiral Brad Cooper, is trying to "calm" tensions between Hamas and Israel. 

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump threatened to eradicate Hamas if it did not disarm.