Israel begins expelling European officials in retaliation for anti-settlement measures

Israel boots Dutch officials from Gaza coordination center, eyes expulsion of British, German, and Italian personnel as well.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel is considering removing British, German and Italian representatives from the US-led international center coordinating implementation of President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, as Jerusalem weighs further retaliation against European governments over measures targeting Israel and its settlement policies.

Israeli officials have discussed removing the United Kingdom from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat in recent weeks, with similar steps against Germany and Italy also raised, according to a Financial Times report.

The deliberations follow Israel’s decision this week to expel Dutch representatives from the center after the Netherlands adopted restrictions on trade involving Israeli products from Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the Dutch representatives would be removed immediately following what he described as a series of hostile measures by The Hague.

“Israel will not allow measures to be taken against it without a response,” Sa’ar said.

Spain was expelled from the same center in April following a separate deterioration in relations between Jerusalem and Madrid.

At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Spanish government of repeatedly acting against Israel.

“I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price,” Netanyahu said.

Sa’ar accused Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government of an “obsessive anti-Israel bias,” arguing that Madrid had consequently “lost all capability to serve a constructive role” in implementing Trump’s Gaza plan. The removal was coordinated with the United States.

The International Gaza Support Center, previously known as the Civil-Military Coordination Center, was established in Kiryat Gat following the October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Led by US military officers working alongside the IDF, it brings together military personnel, diplomats and other officials from dozens of countries and international organizations involved in humanitarian assistance, security arrangements and planning for Gaza’s postwar future.

The latest Israeli discussions come after Britain, Germany and Italy joined a group of European and other governments condemning Israel’s decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 housing project east of Jerusalem.

In an August 20 joint statement, the governments called the Israeli decision “unacceptable” and demanded that Jerusalem retract the plans and halt settlement expansion. They argued that construction in E1 would damage the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state and undermine a two-state solution.

Britain has taken an especially confrontational position in recent weeks. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires over the E1 tenders and said London was preparing additional measures targeting Israeli settlement policy.

“Britain will not stand back and accept the destruction of the Two-State Solution,” Miliband said.

He added that the government would announce measures intended to “target sanctions at those who participate in illegal settlement expansion.”

Britain is also considering restricting trade in goods originating from Israeli towns in Judea, Samaria, and the Golan, a move that could place it closer to the Dutch policy that prompted Israel’s latest expulsion.

It is not yet clear whether Israel can unilaterally remove additional countries from the Gaza center.

Two people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times that approval could be required from the US-led Board of Peace, established by Trump to oversee implementation of his Gaza framework. Another person disputed that interpretation, arguing that Israel retains sovereign authority over which foreign officials may enter and remain in the country.

The Board of Peace said it remained in discussions with Israel about maintaining multinational coordination and advancing Trump’s plan.

Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office nor German officials commented on the reported deliberations. An Italian government official reportedly dismissed the prospect that Italy and Germany would actually be removed.

An Israeli official similarly sought to play down the prospect of a confrontation with Rome and Berlin, telling the Financial Times only that “Israel has good relations with Germany and Italy.”

British officials, however, reportedly view possible Israeli action against London as increasingly plausible following the expulsions of Spain and the Netherlands.

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