Israel gave British diplomats serving in Ramallah and British representatives at the Gaza Coordination Center seven days to leave the country.
Britain’s consulate in occupied East Jerusalem was also asked to halt its activities within 30 days. The decision came after Britain moved to restrict trade in products made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Twelve countries announce restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements
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 ministers said Israel had taken steps in the West Bank that undermined the two-state solution and that the situation had deteriorated. The statement also addressed violence by Israelis who had seized Palestinian land and stressed the need to preserve the two-state solution.
Israel responded to the trade restrictions by deciding to close Britain’s consulate to the Palestinians in East Jerusalem.