US Joint Chiefs Chairman Tours Gaza Skies with Israeli Forces

Gaza (QNN)- US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Keen conducted an aerial tour over Gaza on Friday aboard an Israeli military helicopter, according to Israeli media. His visit comes as part of an official trip to the occupation state to allegedly assess regional developments, review field conditions, and monitor the implementation of the current ceasefire.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the flight covered several parts of the Gaza Strip, including areas devastated by recent Israeli attacks. The paper gave no further details about the route or whether Keen made any statements during the tour.

This is Keen’s second visit to Israel in recent months. He previously accompanied US President Donald Trump in mid-October during a trip that included meetings with Israeli military leaders.

Keen arrived in Tel Aviv Thursday evening and met with Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s deputy, Eyal Zamir, at the army’s headquarters. The two held closed meetings with senior Israeli officers. Discussions focused on security coordination, Gaza’s post-war future, and reconstruction plans, Israeli newspapers said.

The US general also visited the newly established US-Israeli Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat settlement, southern Israel. The center was set up by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to allegedly monitor the ceasefire agreement and oversee the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Keen met there with Israeli General Yaki Dolf, who oversees coordination with the US side.

Last week, CENTCOM officially inaugurated the coordination center in Kiryat Gat under the leadership of US Army Central Command chief General Patrick Frank. It marks the first international operations hub CENTCOM has ever established inside Israel, reflecting Washington’s growing direct role in Gaza’s post-war management.

The monitored ceasefire took effect on October 10 under a plan proposed by US President Trump. The plan calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a reciprocal release of Israeli soldier prisoners, and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

Before the agreement, Israel, with full US backing, waged a two-year genocidal war on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023. The war killed 68,643 Palestinians and wounded 170,655 others, most of them women and children. It also destroyed 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, leaving the territory in ruins. Israel has violated the ceasefire dozens of times but Trump repeatedly denied any Israeli violations.

The new US-Israeli coordination efforts signal a deeper American military involvement in Gaza’s affairs, as Washington positions itself as both a monitor of the ceasefire and a key architect of Gaza’s future.