US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has raised concerns that President Donald Trump's Gaza peace initiative may lack the personnel, funding, and logistical support necessary for its implementation, according to a diplomatic cable obtained by Politico.
The cable, sent Thursday from the US Embassy in Jerusalem to senior State Department officials and signed by Huckabee, questions whether the Board of Peace and American diplomatic personnel are adequately prepared to oversee plans for disarming Hamas and rebuilding the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, Huckabee's principal concern involves the International Gaza Support Center (IGSC), the American-led coordination hub based in Israel that is responsible for coordinating efforts among Washington, Jerusalem, and international partners.
The Pentagon intends to gradually reduce its staffing at the center over the coming year, with civilian personnel expected to assume responsibilities currently handled by military officials.
However, Huckabee warned that neither the embassy nor the Board of Peace currently has sufficient personnel to guarantee a successful transition.
“Embassy Jerusalem is not currently staffed to assume these roles, but can be if it has an idea of the human, financial and logistical resources that will be needed," Huckabee wrote.
“The BoP is working to increase staff but its ability to cover all functions at the IGSC remains unclear."
The Board of Peace was established by Trump and formally launched in February to oversee aspects of his Gaza peace initiative.
Operating under a United Nations mandate, the organization is responsible for coordinating reconstruction funding and supporting efforts to establish security and governance arrangements in the Gaza Strip.
Several European countries that declined to join the organization have nevertheless agreed to coordinate their activities with it.
The IGSC is expected to play a central role in supporting the International Stabilization Force that the Board of Peace intends to deploy in Gaza.
The coordination center was originally established last year by US Central Command under the name Civil-Military Coordination Center before being renamed.
According to Huckabee's cable, which was classified as “sensitive but unclassified," the center is currently undergoing organizational changes following the Board of Peace's assumption of financial responsibility on October 11.
The ambassador expressed particular concern that replacing military personnel with civilians “could complicate the coordination dynamic" with the IDF, “especially on the intelligence-sharing front."
He requested clarification from Washington regarding the division of responsibilities once the Pentagon begins withdrawing personnel.
“How will roles and responsibilities shift to State and the BoP as DoW reduces its presence?" Huckabee asked.
“How will we keep critical IGSC workstreams running and what conditions should be met before this transition begins?"
The Board of Peace did not confirm the reported reorganization.
Responding to Politico, the Board of Peace said it was unfamiliar with the diplomatic cable but maintained that preparations for implementing the Gaza initiative were well advanced.
The organization said it was “confident in the highly detailed plans that have been developed for improved humanitarian assistance, security, governance, the rule of law, infrastructure development, and reconstruction in Gaza. Our capacities and systems in place are strong and ready for implementation."
The Pentagon directed questions about the report to the State Department, which declined to comment.