Israel expels British officials, shuts East Jerusalem consulate…

Israel announced retaliatory measures against the United Kingdom on Tuesday, including closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, following London’s decision to sanction goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to Sahara Reporters.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said British representatives would also be expelled from Gaza’s aid coordination centre in Kiryat Gat, and UK training of Palestinian Authority security forces would be halted. Saar added that 12 British officials and citizens accused of “anti-Israel and antisemitic activities” would be barred entry.

The announcement followed UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s parliamentary accusation that Israel is carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in Palestine, alongside a ban on settlement imports and tougher arms-sale restrictions.