20 British diplomats leave the East Jerusalem consulate in Jerusalem; London announced the continuation of "essential services".

Adam Goldsmith and James Lendl

BBC Diplomatic Correspondents

According to Israel's captives, most of the diplomats will leave the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem. In response, Britain says the building "will not be suspended" and will operate as a "British embassy" and continue to provide "essential" consular services.

"We didn't want it to come to this," said Gideon Sherer, the foreign minister for POWs.

According to him, 20 diplomats and the British consul general will leave the captives, but a working group of seven people can remain in the building and continue to work "with a very limited scope of activity".