Israel exploits Gaza aid coordination to entrench occupation and settlements
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reports on 9 September 2026:
Israel’s decision to exclude the UK from the International Gaza Support Center (IGSC) in Kiryat Gat, formerly known as the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), once again highlights that the centre, similar to all other initiatives derived from Trump’s Gaza plan, is not autonomous from Israel’s occupation system or political interests.
Israel, which has effective control over aid access in Gaza, also manages which parties participate in coordination, treating membership in the centre as a privilege that it grants or revokes based on countries’ stances on its policies.
The US-led centre, involving representatives from around 50 countries and an international organisation, was created to oversee the ceasefire, coordinate aid delivery, and set up post-war arrangements in the Gaza Strip. However, Israel barred Spain’s representatives from participating in April and then barred the Netherlands’ representatives in August. Both actions were reportedly linked to the respective governments’ stances towards Israel and its policies, especially the Netherlands’ decision to ban imports of settlement products.
This sequence of events shows that Israel leverages its control over humanitarian aid coordination, which is an international legal obligation meant to assist civilians based on need and without political strings, to blackmail, punish, and isolate states. It makes aid participation dependent on governments’ adherence to Israeli policies, transforming what should be a system for fulfilling legal responsibilities into a means of oppressing the Palestinian people and undermining their fundamental rights to life, food, water, health, and dignity.
As the occupying power, Israel is obligated under Articles 55, 56, and 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide food, medicine, and other essential supplies to the population; maintain health services; approve relief efforts; and facilitate them through all available means. The establishment of the IGSC does not relieve Israel of these duties nor shift them to the participating states, in accordance with Article 60 of the Convention.