Israel introduced it could shut the consulate after UK mentioned it was imposing sanctions on unlawful settlements within the occupied West Financial institution.
Revealed On 9 Sep 2026
Israel has advised the UK to shut its consulate in occupied East Jerusalem inside 30 days, in response to reviews, after the British authorities introduced sanctions on unlawful Israeli settlements within the occupied West Financial institution.
Israel knowledgeable the UK of the timeline for the closure and mentioned British diplomats working on the consulate can even lose their diplomatic standing in 30 days, the Reuters information company reported on Wednesday, citing two Israeli officers and two sources accustomed to the matter.
UK workers on a US-led Gaza coordination mission, together with these in Ramallah, should additionally go away inside seven days, Reuters reported, citing one Israeli official and the 2 different sources. Al Jazeera has approached the UK’s International, Commonwealth & Growth Workplace (FCDO) for affirmation of the reviews.
This follows a collection of retaliatory measures by Israel in response to the UK, France and Canada asserting sanctions on unlawful Israeli settlements on Tuesday.
Israeli International Minister Gideon Saar confirmed the UK could be dropped from the Gaza mission and that a number of UK MPs, together with former Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn, could be barred from getting into Israel.
He additionally mentioned Israel would shut the UK’s consulate in occupied East Jerusalem.
“The British transfer is morally distorted, and constitutes blatant interference within the affairs of a sovereign state and its electoral course of,” Saar mentioned, referring to Israeli elections subsequent month that might see Netanyahu unseated.
UK International Secretary Ed Miliband mentioned on Wednesday he regretted Israel’s resolution, however mentioned he was not shocked.
“We weighed the prices and advantages of appearing … and we thought we merely couldn’t stand by as a result of we feared Israeli motion,” he advised the BBC.
Israeli Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mentioned he had appealed to Netanyahu for the closure of the consulate as “Israel’s resolute response to British audacity”, accusing it of working on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Miliband on Tuesday told lawmakers that, along with banning imports of products from Israeli settlements within the West Financial institution, the UK would additionally take measures towards firms and people offering companies to settlements, together with “development, infrastructure, financing, or actual property”.
France and Canada additionally mentioned they might ban the import of merchandise from Israeli settlements, whereas 9 different international locations, together with Denmark and Portugal, endorsed the British motion.
France additionally has a consulate in occupied East Jerusalem accredited to the PA.
The UK, France and Canada have been amongst international locations that in 2025 formally recognised the State of Palestine and have beforehand imposed sanctions on settlements and Israeli ministers over accusations of inciting violence towards Palestinians.
Israel’s authorities was on account of meet on Wednesday to debate its response to the opposite international locations that signed the UK assertion.
