Most UK diplomats to leave East Jerusalem consulate as Miliband says 'mission' to remain

Most diplomats will leave the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel says, but the UK insists the building "will not be closing" and will operate as a "UK Mission".

"We did not want it to come to this," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on social media, as he said 20 diplomats and the consul general would leave while a task force of seven could remain in the building "with a very limited scope of activity".

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband responded that some staff had been "temporarily withdrawn" for security reasons, and stressed the mission would continue "our work with the Palestinian people".

Israel said in September it would shut the consulate in retaliation for UK sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

The new steps appear to prevent the diplomatic row between two allies from escalating further.

The British consulate, which was founded in 1838, handles UK relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem as well as in the West Bank and Gaza.

It is distinct from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv, which is the UK's main diplomatic hub with Israel and is not affected.

Israel's foreign minister said it had implemented the order to shut the consulate within 30 days, which was one of a series of measures announced on 8 September in response to the UK's sanctions.

"The British Consulate in Jerusalem is closing its operations today. Accordingly, the sign of the British Consulate in Jerusalem has been removed," Saar posted on X.

However, the British flag could still be seen outside on Thursday morning, and several staff were seen entering the building.

Saar said talks with the UK government had resulted in agreement on certain principles, including that "the consul general and 20 diplomats (including the consul general) are ending their duties and will leave Israel".

But he acknowledged that the building was "the property of the British government" and said Israel had authorised "a task force of only seven diplomats with a very limited scope of activity" to operate from there.

As a result of this agreement with the UK, he said, "no steps will be taken against Israel".

Israeli media had reported earlier this week that the UK was threatening to expel Israeli diplomats from London.

This agreement is a compromise of sorts and means - for the moment - the heat has been taken out of a dispute that could have further worsened UK-Israel relations.

Israel can claim that the British consulate is "closing its operations". A score of British diplomats, including the consul general, are leaving Jerusalem.

But Miliband said they were going only temporarily and only for their safety and security.

He also insisted that Israel had no legal right to close the consulate.

"The UK government reiterates its long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory," the foreign secretary wrote in a statement.

Following discussions with the Israeli government, he said, the building would "not be closing" and would be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem.

However, Miliband said an understanding had not been reached on "necessary assurances for the security and protections of our staff and premises".

"Accordingly the UK has temporarily withdrawn a number of staff and families to ensure their safety and security," he added.

"We will work in the coming months to build back up our presence, and we will not take reciprocal action while such discussions are underway and credible."

He said the seven UK diplomats remaining in Jerusalem would be "independent and operational" and would "continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people".

Asked by the BBC's Today programme if this was a political fudge, UK Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty said: "You can see what's changed in terms of a name but crucially our presence remains".

He added that the "policies towards this Israeli government, which we fundamentally disagree with" would continue.

British officials are confident the newly-named UK Mission, Jerusalem remains a diplomatic premise formally protected by the provisions of the Vienna Convention.

The remaining diplomats, they say, will retain the existing privileges and immunities the consul general enjoyed. They are accredited with the Israeli authorities as before and will have the same ability to work and travel in the same way as before, they add.

The mission will continue to provide a wide range of services albeit with a smaller team. That involves supporting British nationals and engaging with Palestinian people and institutions. But since the deal was agreed only on Wednesday night, a lot of detail remained to be worked out.

Sources described the deal as a "political success" because the UK had not backed down on its sanctions on illegal settlements, it had maintained a diplomatic presence in East Jerusalem, and it had avoided a dangerous tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats from London and Tel Aviv. The UK Mission will also - crucially - remain entirely separate from the UK embassy in Tel Aviv.

Officials also said the fact British diplomats remain on the ground will reinforce the principle that international representation should continue in East Jerusalem.

It was British officials who removed the sign from the consulate. The diplomats who left have gone to other locations in the region to continue their work from there.

It now seems clear the disagreement has been parked until after the Israeli elections at the end of the month.

The UK side wanted to avoid the dispute being "instrumentalized" by any political party during the campaign. But it says negotiations will continue in coming months and the threat of British retaliation remains firmly on the table.