FT: Israel weighs expulsion of British, European officials from Gaza hub

Israel is considering removing British and potentially other European representatives from the U.S.-led International Gaza Support Centre (IGSC), according to the Financial Times, as tensions between Israel and several European governments continue to escalate.

The centre, formerly known as the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), is based in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel and was established under U.S. leadership to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and coordinate international efforts related to Gaza.

According to the newspaper, Israeli officials have discussed removing British representatives from the centre in recent weeks. Similar measures have reportedly been considered against representatives of Germany and Italy.

The discussions come amid worsening relations between Israel and several European governments over their criticism of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians, including settlement expansion and restrictions related to settlement-produced goods.

Israel has already removed Dutch representatives from the centre, while Spanish representatives were previously excluded. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar cited the Netherlands’ decision to restrict trade in products from Israeli settlements as a reason for the latest move.

By Tamilla Hasanova