Diplomacy & Geopolitics
UK east Jerusalem consulate to be closed by Israel
Israel will close Britain's consulate in east Jerusalem amid a row over sanctions on Israeli settlements, Israel's envoy to the United Nations said Tuesday.
The announcement followed a move by 12 countries, including Britain, Canada and France, backing sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Their foreign ministers said actions by the Israeli government in the West Bank were undermining the possibility of a two-state solution and cited settler violence and settlement expansion.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told parliament that Britain would introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories. He said Britain would also act against specific companies and individuals providing services such as construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate for settlement expansion.
Miliband accused the Israeli government of turning a “blind eye” to what he called “ethnic cleansing” by Israeli settlers. Israeli officials criticised the UK-led measures.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank among about three million Palestinians.
Update
Israel will close Britain's consulate in east Jerusalem, according to Israel's envoy to the United Nations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 14:35:43 UTC.
Update
The PA called the sanctions on Israeli settlements an “important” step toward accountability.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 13:43:10 UTC.
Update
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told parliament Britain would introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
Miliband said Britain would act against specific companies and individuals providing construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate services for settlement expansion.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France would end trade with settlements in the occupied territories.
The source gives UK-Occupied Palestinian Territories trade at about £38 million in 2025, citing the UK government.
An AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data says Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,105 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 13:45:33 UTC.
Update
Ireland and Spain have already taken measures against trade with Israeli settlements.
France has pushed for a similar European Union decision for weeks, but the move has been blocked by some EU members.
The 12 foreign ministers said Israel's actions in the West Bank were undermining the possibility of a two-state solution.
The ministers said the situation was deteriorating amid what they called unprecedented settler violence and settlement expansion.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 12:57:10 UTC.
Update
Twelve countries including Canada, France and the UK issued a joint statement on trade restrictions involving Israeli settlements.
The countries said they intended to introduce national restrictions, support European restrictions, or were actively considering these and other measures under national procedures.
The statement named Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 12:42:24 UTC.
Update
The UK foreign minister said Israel was turning a “blind eye” to “ethnic cleansing” in the West Bank.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 12:31:46 UTC.
Update
Twelve countries, including France and the UK, said they would sanction trade from Israeli settlements.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 12:33:15 UTC.
Update
Britain was expected to announce sanctions on trade from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the decision irrational and discriminatory.
Israel threatened retaliatory action, and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Britain's ambassador to be expelled.
The UK government said trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories was about £38 million in 2025.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 09:39:21 UTC.
Update
Israel's president said UK sanctions on settlements would be on the "wrong side of history".
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 09:06:42 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The item does not state when the consulate closure would take effect.
Source
AFP news report published on .