LONDON: The US military is operating surveillance drones over Gaza to monitor the status of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the New York Times reported.

The operation is part of a larger effort to ensure that the two parties abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement, military officials said.

With Israel’s consent, the drones have been used to monitor ground activity in Gaza, two Israeli military officials and a US defense official told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.

The drone operators are based at the new Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel. The center was launched last week by US Central Command.

The US has previously flown reconnaissance missions over Gaza in order to locate hostages, but the latest mission highlights a desire to attain independence from

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