UK Warns Against Israel Removing It From Gaza Ceasefire Center, Other Middle East Developments

The United Kingdom has warned Israel against removing British officials from the Gaza ceasefire coordination center, saying such a move would undermine international efforts to implement the US backed 20 point Gaza peace plan.

The warning came after reports that Israel was considering expelling British and other European officials from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel. Britain said it remains committed to working with the US, Israel, international partners and UN agencies to improve conditions in Gaza.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, said Israel was removing two Dutch diplomats from the center. Israel said the decision followed Dutch measures restricting trade linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, along with other actions it described as anti Israel. Reports said European criticism of Israel’s settlement policies has increasingly strained relations with its allies.

In Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least five Palestinians on Friday despite the fragile ceasefire, according to reports. Two brothers and another relative were among those killed near Khan Younis. Israel’s military said it was not aware of a strike in the area. More than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza health officials.

The violence also extended to the occupied West Bank, where an Israeli airstrike near Jenin killed three people, including Hamas operative Qais Bitawi, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Meanwhile, the Iran war continues to disrupt global shipping. The International Maritime Organization said around 6,000 seafarers remain stranded on hundreds of vessels in the Persian Gulf six months after the conflict began. At least 70 attacks on international shipping have been verified, killing 19 seafarers. IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez urged renewed cooperation to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has also condemned the latest US economic measures, calling them “economic terrorism” and accusing Washington of using sanctions to pressure other countries. The US has intensified efforts to isolate Tehran economically, while diplomatic efforts continue over reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s forces have maintained restrictions on the vital waterway, sharply reducing maritime traffic.