Britain removes the banners of its consulate in Jerusalem after an Israeli order

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Workers removed the signs of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, overnight, as the deadline set by Israel to close the headquarters and remove British diplomats from the city expired, in a new escalation of the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

According to Reuters, on Thursday, journalists saw workers removing a sign bearing the phrase “British Consulate General” and another indicating the consular section, while the British flag remained raised above the building.

There was no immediate comment from the British Consulate regarding the removal of the banners, and it was not clear whether the move meant an official cessation of all its activities.

Israel had given Britain 30 days to close its consulate in East Jerusalem and leave its diplomats, in response to London's announcement of imposing sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The British measures include a trade ban on products manufactured in the settlements, which the United Nations and most countries in the world consider illegal under international law, while Israel rejects this position.

The British consular presence in Jerusalem goes back nearly two centuries, that is, before the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

The consulate is located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, and is responsible for managing British relations with the Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in addition to providing consular services.

The Israeli closure decision does not include the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, which is responsible for diplomatic relations with the Israeli government.

Despite British efforts to keep the consulate open, Israel stuck to its decision, even after the British National Security Advisor visited Israel last week for talks. Reuters quoted sources that the closure decision affects about 30 British diplomats, in addition to their family members.

On Wednesday, the British Foreign Office declined to clarify whether the consulate was still working, or whether any of its diplomats had left for the United Kingdom.

In a development that may intensify the crisis, Reuters revealed on Tuesday that Britain is considering expelling Israeli diplomats from the Israeli embassy in London, in response to the closure of its consulate in Jerusalem.

The exchange of expulsions of diplomats would represent an unusual escalation between the two countries, which have close relations in the economic, security and intelligence fields.

The crisis comes after the deterioration of British-Israeli relations over the past three years, against the backdrop of the war in Gaza and British criticism of Israeli military operations and settler attacks in the West Bank.

On the other hand, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses the ruling Labor Party in Britain of taking hostile positions towards Israel.

While Israel insists on closing the consulate, the next British step remains a subject of anticipation, especially with the possibility of the dispute moving from consular procedures to the exchange of expulsions of diplomats.