Most UK diplomats to leave East Jerusalem consulate, Israel says, as Miliband says 'vital services' to remain
8 October 2026, 07: 35 BST. Updated 18 minutes ago.
8 October 2026, 07: 35 BST. Updated 18 minutes ago.
Article outline
- What happened
- Reaction
- The bottom line
Most diplomats will leave the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel notes, but the UK insists the building "will not be closing", and will operate as a "UK Mission".
As he remarked 20 diplomats and the Consul General would leave Israel while a task force of seven could remain in the building "with a very limited scope of activity", "We did not want it to come to this, " Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on social media.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband responded that some staff had been "temporarily withdrawn" for security reasons, but stressed the mission will " work with the Palestinian people".
Israel remarked in September it would shut the consulate, in retaliation for UK sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank which are illegal under international law.
In short, most UK diplomats to leave East Jerusalem consulate, Israel says, as Miliband is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
