Workers removed signs and plaques from the British consulate in East Jerusalem on Wednesday night, as Israel moved to shut the mission over Britain's plans to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, further straining ties between the two countries.

Reuters footage showed consulate workers taking down a sign reading “British Consulate General” and another identifying the consular section. The British flag remained flying above the building.

The consulate did not immediately comment.

Israel last month ordered Britain to close the consulate within 30 days and withdraw its diplomats from the city, after London announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on trade in goods produced there.

The move has deepened an already deteriorating relationship between the longtime allies.

The United Nations and most countries regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law, a position Israel rejects.

Britain has sought to keep the consulate open despite Israel's order. Its national security adviser traveled to Israel last week for talks in an effort to resolve the dispute, but Israel has continued to insist that the mission be closed.

The removal of the signs came as the deadline for the consulate's closure approached, underscoring the extent to which the dispute over Israeli settlements has escalated into a broader diplomatic confrontation.