Israeli media reported that British diplomats serving in Ramallah and British representatives at the Gaza Coordination Center were given seven days to leave the country.
The British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem was also asked to cease operations within 30 days. Israeli media said the decision followed the United Kingdom’s move to restrict trade in products made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
12 countries announced restrictions on settlement products
The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom announced in a joint written statement that they would restrict trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements.
The joint statement said Israel had taken steps through its actions in the West Bank that undermined the two-state solution and that the situation was worsening. The statement also pointed to violence committed by Israelis who seized Palestinian land and stressed the need to preserve the idea of a two-state solution.
Israeli media also reported that Israel had decided to close the United Kingdom’s consulate in East Jerusalem serving Palestinians in response to the trade restrictions.