US blocks European diplomats from Gaza coordination center under Israeli pressure: Report
Tel Aviv reportedly requested the ban, limiting access
to the US-run Kiryat Gat facility to lower-level staff while senior envoys
remain excluded
DEC 11, 2025
The US has blocked senior European envoys accredited
to the Palestinian Authority (PA) from entering the Civil-Military Coordination
Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat outside the Gaza border under Israeli
pressure, Haaretz reported on 11 December.
Diplomats told the outlet that the CMCC, the US-run
hub overseeing Gaza operations and the ceasefire, was initially open to international representatives
when it launched.
Access began to tighten in recent weeks, starting when
the head of the Netherlands mission to the PA was prevented from returning to
the center after two earlier visits.
Belgium’s representative to Ramallah and France’s
consul general in Jerusalem were later subjected to the same restriction.
The ban reportedly applies only to heads of mission,
some of whom hold ambassadorial rank. Lower-level staff working with the PA can
still enter the site.
European officials said the US Embassy in Jerusalem
recently began requiring written requests for access. One state filed the
requested submission but received no formal reply. Its envoy was eventually
told by US officials that Israel had requested the prohibition.
A European diplomat said early interactions with US
personnel were marked by openness, noting that “many of them did not know much
about Gaza or the Palestinians.”
She added that Israel’s influence over the center “has
grown” since then.
Multiple diplomats argued that their PA-focused envoys
should be present inside the CMCC because they hold detailed knowledge of
Palestinian society and because the center contains no Palestinian
representation.
Another envoy said Israeli officials also conveyed the
decision directly. When European missions raised objections with US diplomats,
Washington “distanced itself,” insisting that the request originated from
Israel and that the US was not satisfied with the policy.
European states participating in the CMCC are seeking
to shape Israeli and US planning for Gaza and advocate for a role for the PA east of the
so-called ‘Yellow Line,’ where Israeli forces maintain control.
This position clashes with Israel’s refusal to
transfer authority in the Gaza Strip to the PA.
The development comes as US President Donald Trump's
administration delays naming the members of the planned “Board of Peace” and
postpones the announcement of a technocratic Palestinian committee intended to
manage daily life in Gaza.
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