United Kingdom reportedly threatens to expel Israeli diplomats over consulate closure threat

The United Kingdom has reportedly threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats if Israel goes ahead with plans to close the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem.

According to unverified Israeli media reports published on Monday by the Ynet outlet, British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters conveyed the warning to Israeli officials. The reported British countermeasure would involve expelling one Israeli diplomat for each of the 27 British diplomats whose status would be terminated by the consulate’s closure.

Israel ordered the consulate shut by October 8 in retaliation for the British government’s decision to sanction illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which included an import ban. The consulate operates independently from the British Embassy in Israel, managing political and consular relations with Palestinians across East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

Efforts to resolve the diplomatic standoff are ongoing. British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell travelled to Israel last week in an unannounced visit to urge Israeli officials to reverse the closure order, according to the Reuters news agency. Monday reports indicated that those talks have not yet yielded an agreement.

The British embassy in Israel declined to comment on the reported expulsion threat.