Miliband defends UK settlement sanctions, says Israel’s retaliatory response is regrettable

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband defended the United Kingdom's decision to impose sanctions on West Bank settlements during an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, following Israel's announcement that it will close the UK's consulate in East Jerusalem.

"I regret what the Israeli government has announced, but I'm proud of what we did yesterday, and it was the right thing to do," Miliband said to Sky News.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on Tuesday that the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem would be shut down, while British representatives at the Kiryat Gat Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) would be expelled, following Miliband's Tuesday announcement of UK sanctions on West Bank settlements.