Key facts
- The British consulate in Jerusalem, which represents the UK government in occupied Palestine, had its X account suspended on Sunday.
- The account, @UKinJerusalem, remains suspended as of Monday.
- Hours before the suspension, the consulate posted a thread criticizing Israel's use of administrative detention against Palestinians.
- The consulate stated that over 9,000 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons, including thousands held without charge or trial.
- The consulate called on Israel to uphold its human rights obligations towards detainees under international law.
The X account for the British consulate in Jerusalem, which represents the UK government's interests in occupied Palestine, was suspended on Sunday. As of Monday, the account, @UKinJerusalem, remains down with a message indicating it violated X's rules. The specific reason for the suspension and which rules were breached were not immediately clear, and Middle East Eye has reached out to X and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.
Hours before its suspension, the consulate had jointly posted a thread with several other diplomatic missions criticizing Israel's practice of administrative detention against Palestinians. The thread highlighted that over 9,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, many without charge or trial, and expressed concern over the severe and life-threatening conditions reported for Palestinian prisoners. The consulate specifically mentioned the case of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyah, a Palestinian paediatrician and director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, who was reportedly abducted by Israeli forces in December 2024 and has been held without charge or trial since then.
The consulate emphasized that detainees have the right to be informed of charges, access legal assistance, and receive a fair trial. It urged Israel to uphold its international human rights obligations towards detainees, including granting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) immediate access to all detention facilities.