Israel has notified the British Consulate in East Jerusalem that it must close within 30 days, with diplomats assigned to the mission set to lose their accreditation, an Israeli official and a source familiar with the matter said.
اضافة اعلان
The two sources added that British representatives assigned to a U.S.-led coordination mission on Gaza in Israel, as well as British diplomats based in Ramallah, must leave within seven days.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Tuesday that Britain must close its consulate in East Jerusalem, which is accredited to the Palestinian Authority, in response to Britain's decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
France and Canada, alongside Britain, have also said they would ban imports of goods from settlements.
Three sources said the Israeli government, which had anticipated the sanctions, was due to meet on Wednesday to discuss its response to the countries that also backed the British measure. All the sources requested anonymity.
France and Sweden, which supported the British measure, also operate consulates in Jerusalem accredited to the Palestinian Authority.
Israel has previously forced diplomatic offices to close in Ramallah, the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority. Canada maintains an office in Ramallah.
Israel on Tuesday ordered the British Consulate to close shortly after 12 countries, including Britain, France and Canada, announced plans to impose trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Sa'ar said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had approved the closure of the consulate, adding that "any foreign activity in the area must be conducted through authorized and agreed channels, without violating Israel's sovereignty."
The Israeli measures also include barring 12 British figures from entering Israel, including 11 members of the British Parliament, and suspending British training programs for Palestinian Authority security forces.
The escalation followed Britain's announcement of a ban on imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, along with sanctions targeting settlement expansion and individuals and companies linked to it.
In 2024, Israel also barred the Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians in the West Bank after Madrid recognized the State of Palestine.
