Israel expels Dutch officials from Gaza coordination centre over settlement goods ban
Dutch representatives have been given one week to leave Israel after relations between the countries deteriorated further
Israel is expelling Dutch representatives from an international centre coordinating work connected to Gaza after the Netherlands banned goods produced in Israeli settlements.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the move on Tuesday, saying officials from the Netherlands would be removed immediately from the International Support Centre for Gaza in Kiryat Gat.
The representatives have also been given one week to leave Israel.
Sa’ar said the decision, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was a response to what he described as a series of anti-Israel measures adopted by the Dutch government.
The Dutch Embassy was informed of the decision on Tuesday evening.
“Our message is clear: Those who act against Israel will have no foothold in the region. Israel will not allow measures to be taken against it without a response.” Sa’ar said.
The move follows a Dutch ban on the import, sale and purchase of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights.
The measure was first proposed in May and formally adopted in July. It is due to come into force on 22 September.
Under the rules, Dutch individuals and organisations will be barred from buying or selling goods produced in settlements or providing intermediary services connected to them.
The Dutch government has said the measure is intended to prevent economic activity from contributing to what it considers a breach of international law.
Sa’ar also linked the diplomatic dispute to rising antisemitism in the Netherlands, arguing that increasingly hostile policies towards Israel had come alongside growing hostility towards Dutch Jews.
The Kiryat Gat centre, previously known as the Civil-Military Coordination Centre, brings together international representatives involved in coordinating efforts relating to Gaza.
The expulsion marks a further deterioration in relations between Israel and the Netherlands, traditionally regarded as one of Israel’s closer European partners.