Israel announces the cessation of operations at the British Consulate in Jerusalem

Kinshasa, October 8^th, 2026 (CPA).- The Israeli Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs has announced on Thursday that the British consulate in East Jerusalem has ceased operations on Israel’s orders, citing “counter-measures” in response to measures taken by the United Kingdom against Israel, the international media have reported. “As announced, the British consulate in Jerusalem has ceased operations today. We have authorised the British government to leave a task force of just seven diplomats there, who will work from this UK-owned building,” has declared Gideon Saar, Israeli Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs. “The building, which remains the property of the British government, will no longer function as a consulate, and the remaining diplomats will carry out their duties under a restricted mandate,” he has added. He has explained that this decision follows a series of British measures against Israel, including sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and restrictions on exports of defence equipment. “Following discussions between the two governments, Israel has agreed to allow seven British diplomats to continue carrying out their duties from this building, which will no longer serve as a consulate,” the Israeli Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs has specified. Meanwhile, Ed Miliband, the British Minister in charge of Foreign, has contested the Israel’s right to close the consulate, asserting that East Jerusalem is an occupied territory. “We have clearly indicated that we do not accept that the Israeli government has the legal right to close the British General Consulate in Jerusalem, which has been based there for nearly 200 years,” he has affirmed. He has added that the General Consulate building would remain open as the “UK Mission in Jerusalem” and would continue its work with the Palestinians. The UK has also confirmed that it had temporarily repatriated some of its staff and their families for security reasons, and has given assurances that it intends to re-establish its diplomatic presence in the coming months. Israel had effectively annexed East Jerusalem shortly after capturing it during the 1967 Middle East War and regards the whole city as its “undivided capital”, a claim not recognised by most members of the international community, it is reminded.