As it happened

Middle East

Issued on: Modified:

1 min Reading time

The British consulate in the Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on September 8, 2026
The British consulate in the Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on September 8, 2026. © Ahmad Gharabli, AFP

Israel has given Britain 30 days to close its east Jerusalem consulate in response to UK sanctions on goods from Israeli settlements, a move Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended Wednesday as necessary to “stand against injustice” in the occupied West Bank. The UK, France and Canada on Tuesday joined nine other European countries imposing the trade ban. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

This liveblog is no longer being updated. 

Yesterday's key developments: 

  • Israel said it would close the UK's consulate in east Jerusalem and bar entry to 12 British nationals, including ex-prime minister Jeremy Corbyn, in response to sanctions on Israeli settlements.
  • France and 10 other countries said they would join the UK in banning goods from illegal Israeli settlements. 
  • Iran's navy warned of retaliatory strikes on ships after the US attacked Iranian oil tankers. 

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)

Keywords for this article