Haaretz: Israel arms drug dealers to commit ‘war crimes’ and loot homes in Gaza

Israel is contemplating the expulsion of British officials from the US-led International Gaza Support Center (IGSC), a monitoring center established to oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This potential move comes in response to Prime Minister Andy Burnham's proposed stronger measures against illegal Israeli settlements.

According to the Financial Times, Israel may also expel Italy and Germany from the IGSC. Currently led by US military officers in collaboration with the Israeli army and officials from numerous countries, the IGSC recently expelled Dutch officials over the Netherlands' ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements. Earlier this year, Israel removed Spain from the IGSC, accusing Madrid of harboring an "obsessive anti-Israel bias."

Prior to becoming Prime Minister in July, Burnham had apologized for Labour's early support for Israel's war on Gaza and refusal to endorse a ceasefire in 2023 and early 2024. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is spearheading the push for stronger measures against Israel, consulting civil society organizations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly expressed his outrage at Britain, branding it an "Islamic republic" and lamenting the loss of favorable British coverage during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

British officials acknowledge that such a response from Israel is likely a form of "payback" and are not perturbed by the prospect. Recent polling indicates that 50% of Britons support a ban on trade with West Bank settlements, while only 16% oppose it. Public opinion in Britain has been shifting against Israel, with a June 2025 survey revealing that 55% of the public opposed Israel's actions in Gaza, with 82% believing Israel was committing genocide.

Additionally, nearly two-thirds of Britons (65%) advocate for implementing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Netanyahu if he visits the UK.