LONDON, October 8. /TASS/. On October 8, Israel will close the UK consulate in East Jerusalem, but will not expel British diplomats or their families, The Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the consulate will lose its diplomatic status, and its nearly 30 diplomats will be able to continue working at the UK embassy in Tel Aviv. Earlier, London had threatened to expel 30 Israeli diplomats from the UK in response to Israeli actions.

On September 8, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced in a speech to the House of Commons (the lower house of the British Parliament) that London was imposing a ban on the import of goods from illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The sanctions will take effect next year. In response, Israel announced that it would close the UK consulate in East Jerusalem within 30 days.