Kiryat gat: Israel is leveraging its involvement in a US-led civil-military coordination center for Gaza to penalize countries that criticize its policies, particularly concerning illegal settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories. US Central Command (CENTCOM) had last October established the International Gaza Support Center (IGSC) in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat. This center is responsible for coordinating stabilization efforts in Gaza, overseeing the implementation of a ceasefire agreement, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid. It operates with an operations floor that allows staff to monitor developments in Gaza in real-time.
According to Anadolu Agency, the center includes representatives from numerous countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Britain, the US, Israel, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Greece. However, Israel has started excluding representatives from countries that oppose its policies. In April, Spanish representatives were removed from the facility following Madrid's criticism of Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. Most recently, Dutch representatives were ordered to leave the center immediately, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry citing a 'wave of anti-Israel policy' by the Dutch government, notably a new Dutch law banning trade in Israeli products from the occupied Palestinian territories and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
Israeli media have reported that Tel Aviv is contemplating the expulsion of representatives from other countries. The Jerusalem Post, citing unnamed Israeli officials, noted that Israel is considering the removal of British officials and possibly other European representatives from the US-led facility 'in light of Britain's conduct in recent months.' Britain currently maintains the second-largest delegation at the Kiryat Gat center after the US, with a British deputy commander at the facility. An unnamed British government spokesperson emphasized the UK's commitment to the 20-Point Plan in Gaza and the shared efforts at IGSC with international partners and UN agencies, warning that removing the UK or other partners could undermine these efforts.
The newspaper also reported that Israel is considering the removal of German and Italian representatives, although an unnamed Israeli official denied these reports. More than 100 former diplomats from France and Britain recently published an open letter accusing Israel of 'systematically destroying Gaza and its population,' following the condemnation by 11 countries, including Britain and France, of Israeli tenders for housing units in the E1 illegal settlement project east of Jerusalem. The US has yet to officially comment on these developments, and foreign representatives must obtain residency permits from Israeli authorities to remain in the country. Israel's recent escalation in illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories continues to draw widespread international criticism.
Source: Anadolu Agency