The UK consulate in East Jerusalem is preparing to close its doors on Thursday. This closure comes after Israel ordered the mission to shut down in response to a UK ban on trade with illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and sanctions on those involved in their construction or financing.
The forced closure has been described as the lowest point in UK-Israeli relations for decades. Reports indicate that the UK is considering a retaliatory expulsion of 27 Israeli diplomats from London.
Amjad Iraqi, a senior analyst on Israel and Palestine for the International Crisis Group, warned that Palestinians would bear the cost of the consulate's closing. The consulate, which is separate from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, provides services to Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, services they will now lose.
Israel has previously curtailed the diplomatic activities of other countries, including the Netherlands, Spain, and Norway, in the occupied West Bank.