Workers took down signs and plaques at the British consulate in East Jerusalem overnight, as a deadline set by Israel to shutter the diplomatic mission expired on Thursday.
A plaque reading "British Consulate General" alongside a sign for the consular section were removed from the compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, though the British flag remained flying over the property. The consulate did not immediately comment on the developments.
The removal follows an order issued by Israel last month demanding that Britain shut the mission within 30 days and withdraw its diplomats. The directive was issued after London announced sanctions against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on trading goods manufactured there.
Most nations and the United Nations view settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Britain's governing Labour Party of hostility toward Israel.
Britain attempted to prevent the shutdown, sending its top national security adviser to Israel for discussions last week, but Israeli officials remained adamant that the mission must close. The Foreign Office in London declined on Wednesday to confirm whether the site remained operational or if staff had left.
The order affects roughly 30 British diplomats and their families, according to sources. In response, London is considering expelling Israeli diplomats stationed at the Israeli embassy in the United Kingdom, a move that would represent a rare diplomatic retaliation between close security, intelligence and economic partners.
The Sheikh Jarrah mission manages Britain's ties with Palestinians across Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and handles consular support for Palestinians. Britain's diplomatic presence in the city spans almost 200 years, predating the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. The closure does not impact the British embassy in Tel Aviv, which conducts diplomatic relations with the Israeli government.
The dispute marks a further deterioration in bilateral ties over the past three years, during which Britain has regularly criticised Israel's conduct in the Gaza war and attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.
