UK Warns Israel Against Diplomat Expulsion as West Bank Settlement Trade Ban Looms

The UK has warned Israel that expelling its diplomats from the country would undermine peace plan efforts in Gaza. Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government faces backlash from Israel as it prepares to ban goods from Israeli settlement projects in the West Bank.

Last week, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expelled Dutch diplomats from the US-led International Gaza Support Centre in Kiryat Gat, which supports the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and monitors the ceasefire. This came in response to the Netherlands’ move to boycott Israeli goods from settlements.

Israel is now considering the expulsion of British representatives from the multinational IGSC, according to the FT. However, a UK government representative told The National that doing so would be detrimental to the Gaza peace plan. “The UK is committed to the implementation of the 20-Point Plan in Gaza and playing our part in improving the situation on the ground,” the representative stated. “At the request of the United States and the Board of Peace, and because of that commitment to Gaza's future, we continue to work at IGSC with the US, Israel, international partners and UN agencies in support of UNSCR 2803. Removing the UK or other partners would undermine these shared efforts.”

Critics argue that the UK should not take part in the IGSC initiative alongside Israel while Israel continues to restrict aid entry into Gaza. Chris Doyle, director of the Centre for Arab British Understanding, noted that Israel bans the entry of vital products into Gaza, including wheelchairs, prosthetics, watermelons, and onions.

UK-Israel relations have deteriorated since former Prime Minister Keir Starmer recognised a Palestinian state last year, and were further strained by Israel's plans to launch a tender for the E1 settlement project in the West Bank. Mr Burnham is reportedly considering sanctions to ban trade with settlement goods in the UK, a move that could also cause divisions within the Labour Party following an open letter signed by more than 140 Labour MPs calling for the boycott.