1+Israel is weighing whether to remove British representatives—and possibly officials from other European countries—from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, in response to escalating policy moves and pressure against Israel. According to a Financial Times report, discussions have taken place in recent weeks, with similar steps being considered against German and Italian representatives.
The coordination center, formerly known as the Civil-Military Coordination Center and now operating as the International Gaza Support Center, was established to oversee implementation of the ceasefire and coordinate international activity around the Gaza Strip. The center operates from Kiryat Gat under American leadership in cooperation with the IDF, with dozens of military personnel and diplomats from some 50 countries and international organizations participating.
The move being considered in Jerusalem comes after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced this week that Dutch representatives would be removed from the center, following the Netherlands’ decision to boycott Israeli products manufactured in Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Earlier this year, Spanish representatives were also removed, following what Israel defined as “obsessive anti-Israel bias.” Sa’ar made clear then that “Israel will not allow steps to be taken against it without a response.”
1+Tensions with Britain have also escalated significantly recently, amid the possibility that London will ban trade in products from Judea and Samaria and the pressure it is exerting against settlement expansion. Britain, Germany, and Italy joined nearly 20 countries and the European Commission in a letter opposing construction in the E1 area near Jerusalem. After British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband attacked Israel, Sa’ar responded that Britain has no place “to preach to the Jewish people where they are permitted to live in their historic homeland.”
According to two sources who spoke with the newspaper, removing additional international representatives may require approval from the “Peace Council” led by the United States, which was established by President Donald Trump as part of the plan for the Strip’s future. Another source rejected this and emphasized that Israel has full sovereign authority to decide who is permitted to enter and remain in its territory. An Israeli source said in response that Israel has “good relations with Germany and Italy,” while an Italian source dismissed the possibility that the two countries would be removed.
In the background, efforts to advance to the next phase of the Gaza arrangement continue to run into Hamas’s refusal to disarm. International efforts made in recent months have also failed to achieve a breakthrough, while the terror organization continues to hold onto its weapons. Israel for its part continues to stand by its security demands and to act against threats in the Strip, alongside growing political pressure from European countries.