Afghanistan, Sept. 9 -- Israel has ordered the United Kingdom to close its consulate in occupied East Jerusalem within 30 days, marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions after Britain joined France and Canada in imposing sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The move is part of a broader package of retaliatory measures announced by the Israeli government after London, Paris and Ottawa imposed new restrictions over settlement expansion and violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
According to Reuters, diplomats serving at the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, a mission that has operated continuously since 1839, will lose their diplomatic status unless they leave within the 30-day deadline. ...