The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT; Hebrew: מתאם פעולות הממשלה בשטחים) is a unit in the Israeli Ministry of Defense that engages in coordinating civilian issues between the Government of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces, international organizations, diplomats, and the Palestinian Authority. It is the main organ remaining of the mostly defunct Israeli Civil Administration,[citation needed] which had governed the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 1981 and 1994.
COGAT is responsible for implementing the Israeli government's policy in the Area C of the West Bank and vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip. In addition, COGAT constitutes the civilian authority for residential zoning and infrastructure and is responsible for addressing the needs of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Unit constitutes a focal point of knowledge that combines human quality and advanced technology. It coordinates the activities of government departments, I.D.F and security forces vis-à-vis the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.[1]
The Unit's mission is to promote and implement the policy of the Israeli Government in civilian matters, to facilitate humanitarian issues and economic and infrastructure projects in Palestinian controlled areas of the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. In addition, the unit leads the coordination and liaison with the Palestinian Authority and with the Palestinian population of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.[1]
COGAT's headquarters are in the Kirya compound in Tel Aviv. The unit headed by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major-General Ghassan Alian.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories". www.cogat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ "Brig. Gen. Ghassan Alian to serve as Israel's military liaison to Palestinians". Times of Israel. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
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