Israel to close British consulate in Jerusalem after sanctions announced

Several MPs also banned from Israel after UK steps up condemnation of settlements and announces sweeping sanctions

Israeli army soldiers patrol the streets of the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, south of Nablus, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem in response to sweeping UK sanctions on goods from illegal settlements.

Reacting to Ed Miliband’s description of violent Jewish settler activity on the occupied Palestinian West Bank as “ethnic cleansing” carried out with the tacit backing of the Netanyahu government, Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, announced retaliatory measures including the closure of the consulate and entry bans on several UK MPs.