Britain issued a stern warning to Israel on Friday, advising against any attempts to evict British personnel from the Gaza ceasefire monitoring hub following reports that Israeli officials were contemplating their removal.
The diplomatic friction unfolded alongside reports of an Israeli air attack in southern Gaza that claimed the lives of three relatives, highlighting ongoing violence despite a month-old peace agreement brokered by the United States.
Officials at Nasser Hospital confirmed that two brothers and a family member died when their home outside Khan Younis was bombed, though the Israeli military stated it had no record of a strike in the area.
The U.K. government reiterated its commitment to upholding the 20-point peace plan on Thursday, stating that any action to expel its representatives would “undermine shared efforts.” British officials further told reporters that the country remains dedicated to “playing our part in improving the situation on the ground.”
The dispute comes after the Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that Israel ejected two of its diplomats from the coordination center.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry defended the eviction as a direct response to the Netherlands prohibiting trade in goods originating from West Bank settlements, alongside other “anti-Israel measures.”
Though major military engagements have diminished since the October truce sought to pause over two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas, repeated Israeli airstrikes have resulted in at least 1,303 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health authorities.
Concurrently, Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday denounced newly imposed U.S. financial penalties as “economic terrorism,” pledging to employ all available means to resist them. Teheran claimed Washington’s actions violated international law and accused the U.S. of weaponizing the dollar to force global compliance.
The statement followed announcements by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who vowed to isolate Iran completely from the global financial system to exert economic leverage.