伦敦消息：英国外交大臣埃德·米利班德于10月8日周四表示，尽管以色列下令关闭，但位于东耶路撒冷的英国总领事馆仍将作为一个独立且正常运作的英国使团继续存在，为巴勒斯坦人民提供服务。
LONDON: British foreign minister Ed Miliband said on Thursday (Oct 8) its Consulate General building in East Jerusalem, ordered to close by Israel, would remain open as an independent and operational UK Mission, serving the Palestinian people.
此前，伦敦宣布计划对约旦河西岸的以色列定居点实施制裁，随后以色列便下令关闭英国驻东耶路撒冷的领事馆。
Israel had ordered the British consulate in East Jerusalem to close on Thursday after London announced plans to impose sanctions on settlements in the West Bank.
米利班德称，近几周来英国已撤走部分工作人员及其家属，接下来将努力重新恢复在该地的人员配置。
Miliband said that having withdrawn a number of staff and families in recent weeks, it would now work to build up their presence again.
英以两国关系的恶化引发了以色列方面的猜测：英国可能会以驱逐驻伦敦的以色列外交官作为回应。
The deterioration in ties between the two allies had sparked speculation in Israel that Britain could respond to the closure by expelling Israeli diplomats in London.
米利班德强调：“未来几个月我们将努力重新加强在当地的派驻力量；在相关磋商仍在进行且具有可信度的情况下，我们不会采取对等措施。”
"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," Miliband said.
英国中东事务大臣斯蒂芬·多蒂在接受天空新闻采访时称，英国正与以色列政府保持沟通，并对以方针对英国领事馆采取的举措深表遗憾。
Britain's minister for the Middle East, Stephen Doughty, told Sky News that Britain was engaged in ongoing talks with the Israeli government, and that it deeply regretted Israel's actions in relation to its consulate.
斯蒂芬·多蒂说道：“我们的建筑依然开放，工作人员也继续从事着重要的工作。我们在耶路撒冷仍保有派驻人员……确保这些工作得以持续进行至关重要。”
"Our building remains open, our staff remain doing important work," Stephen Doughty told Sky News. "We retain a presence in Jerusalem ... and it is very important that that work is able to continue."