Israel has confirmed it is closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem today after the UK banned trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Thursday: “The British consulate in Jerusalem is ending its operations today”.

He added that the British consul general along with 20 diplomats (including the consul general) are ending their assignments and will leave Israel.

“We agreed to continue dialogue between the governments, during which both sides will be able to raise issues of importance to them,” he said.

The foreign minister said that they have also authorised the British government to continue to operate from the consulate building “in a limited scope of activity and with only seven diplomats”.

British foreign secretary announced the decision on 8 September, saying: “The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank – perpetrated by settler terrorists.

“And all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians.”