Israel said the British consulate in east Jerusalem ended its functions on 8 October, but seven British diplomats will be allowed to remain in a limited capacity, while the United Kingdom said the site would keep offering “vital services”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said 20 diplomats, including the consul general, were ending their missions and leaving the country. He said the move followed talks with the British government meant to avoid an escalation in tensions.
Israel ordered the consulate closed on 8 September, in response to Western sanctions led by London over settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said the site would be known as the U.K. Mission, Jerusalem. He said the U.K. did not accept that Israel had “the legal right” to enforce the closure, and that Britain would not take reciprocal action while discussions continue.
The Palestinian Authority’s foreign affairs ministry called the move “illegal”. Most countries, including Britain, do not recognise Israeli sovereignty over east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967.
