Israel Orders 187-Year-Old British Consulate in Jerusalem Shut Within 30 Days

Israel has ordered the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem to close within 30 days, Middle East Eye reported. The mission was founded in 1838, 187 years ago. Israel acted after the United Kingdom banned imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also barred British members of parliament from entering Israel. He ordered British staff working in Gaza to leave within one week. According to the report, France and Canada have joined the British position. That leaves Israel facing coordinated pressure from three Western governments.

The consulate in Jerusalem is one of the oldest Western diplomatic posts in the city. It opened under Ottoman rule in 1838. It works separately from the British embassy in Tel Aviv. It serves Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and it has long been Britain's main channel to the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian civil society. Closing it would cut Britain's direct diplomatic presence with Palestinians in the occupied territories.

The dispute follows months of worsening relations between London and Israel. In September 2025, Britain formally recognised the State of Palestine alongside Canada and Australia. France announced its own recognition at the United Nations days later. Israel rejected those moves. Settlement expansion in the West Bank has continued since then, and international criticism of it has grown.

Under international law, settlements in occupied territory are illegal. The International Court of Justice confirmed this in its July 2024 advisory opinion. That opinion said states should not assist or recognise Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. Britain's import ban puts that obligation into practice. Israel's closure order turns a trade measure into a direct diplomatic break.

Qatar has been a mediator in Gaza together with Egypt and the United States. It has consistently described settlement expansion and the removal of Palestinians from their land as violations of international law. Expelling British staff from Gaza could further limit the international presence in the Strip, where humanitarian access is already restricted.