JERUSALEM
US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Brad Cooper paid a brief visit to Israel on Saturday, holding talks with senior military officials on developments related to Iran and the Gaza Strip before departing for the US, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
KAN said Cooper met with Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials during the visit.
According to the broadcaster, Cooper arrived in Israel after a series of meetings in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, amid efforts to ease tensions between the US and Iran.
The visit came as tensions persist between the US and Iran following recent military confrontations, alongside regional diplomatic efforts to reach new understandings and reduce escalation.
KAN said the US remained on heightened alert across the Middle East, maintaining dozens of aerial refueling aircraft, fighter jets, air defense systems and thousands of troops in the region.
On Gaza, the broadcaster said Cooper discussed developments in the enclave as Washington continued pressing Israel to move forward with the next phase of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.
The report said the discussions followed understandings reached by the Peace Council on disarmament of Gaza, while disagreements remained over the sequencing of the second phase, particularly regarding Hamas’ disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from the enclave.
According to KAN, Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to discuss the new plan and its timeline, including a gradual Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza.
The broadcaster said the withdrawal would be conditional on Hamas’ disarmament and the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the territory.
Hamas, for its part, says that moving forward with the second phase requires Israel to comply with the provisions of the first phase, including halting attacks, allowing humanitarian aid to enter, and opening the crossings. It maintains that Israel has failed to fulfill these commitments.
The group also linked discussions on its heavy weapons to a full Israeli withdrawal and the implementation of other second-phase arrangements, including the deployment of the administrative committee, an international force and the start of reconstruction.
A ceasefire has been in effect in Gaza since Oct. 10, 2025. Issues including Hamas’ disarmament, an Israeli withdrawal, transitional governance and reconstruction remain among the key unresolved elements of the second phase.
