Israel Expels Dutch Officials From Gaza Coordination Center

Israel has ordered the expulsion of two Dutch representatives from a US-backed Gaza coordination center, escalating a diplomatic dispute over the Netherlands' planned ban on products from Israeli settlements. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced the decision on August 26, 2026, stating the Dutch officials must leave the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat within one week. The move was made with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The expulsion is a direct retaliation for the Netherlands' upcoming prohibition on the import and sale of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, which is set to take effect on September 22, 2026. Saar cited this trade ban as the latest in a series of Dutch actions against Israel, which also include travel bans on far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, limitations on arms exports, and support for stronger European pressure regarding Israeli policies in Gaza and the West Bank.

The coordination center in Kiryat Gat, originally established as the Civil-Military Coordination Center under a US plan, brings together Israeli, US, and...