Israeli media have reported that the United States has barred senior European diplomats accredited to the Palestinian Authority from entering a US-run coordination centre linked to President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, following a direct request from Israel.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the restriction applies to high-ranking European representatives who present their credentials to the Palestinian Authority in East Jerusalem and Ramallah, rather than to their countries’ embassies in Tel Aviv, which handle relations with Israel.
The Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), located in Kiryat Gat, was established last October to oversee the implementation of Washington’s Gaza plan. Western diplomats quoted by the newspaper said the centre had initially been accessible to international missions, but that access has been increasingly restricted in recent weeks, particularly for heads of mission.
The report said the Netherlands was the first country whose head of mission to the Palestinian Authority was denied entry after having previously visited the centre twice. The Belgian representative to the Palestinian Authority was subsequently barred, followed by the French consul general in Jerusalem, who is also responsible for relations with the Palestinian Authority.
Diplomats told Haaretz that while senior representatives are being denied access, staff members of diplomatic missions working with the Palestinian Authority are still permitted to enter the centre. The restrictions reportedly apply only to heads of mission, some of whom hold ambassadorial rank.
European diplomatic sources said Washington recently began requiring that requests to visit the CMCC be submitted in writing through the US Embassy in Jerusalem. One European envoy submitted a formal request but received no response, before being informed that entry was not possible “at Israel’s request”.
The reported move has fuelled concerns among European officials over growing limitations on diplomatic engagement related to Gaza and the Palestinian Authority amid ongoing political tensions surrounding the US-led initiative.
