The United Kingdom threatened to expel 27 Israeli diplomats along with their families if Israel closes Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem and expels British diplomats, sources revealed to The Jerusalem Post Monday.

The shutdown of the British consulate is scheduled for Oct. 8, per the order of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, in retaliation for British sanctions on Judea and Samaria.

Multiple sources told Reuters that the U.K.’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, visited Israel last week to discuss a solution that would prevent the closure of its consulate, but the U.K. did not publicly disclose the visit. The talks ultimately failed to produce the desired result for Britain.

The spat between Jerusalem and London unfolded after Britain announced measures against Judea and Samaria in September to punish Israel for its proposed construction in Section E1 near Maale Adumim in Judea and for its alleged failure to crack down on settler violence.

The day after British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband announced the United Kingdom’s intent to sanction Judea and Samaria, the U.K., France, and Canada issued a joint statement about the ban, followed by another joint statement on the ban by Canada, France, the U.K., Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, in which they signaled that they had already implemented or were planning to implement measures against the region.

Eight Muslim countries praised the sweeping ban on all goods and services in Judea and Samaria.

Israel retaliated by giving the British government 30 days to close its consulate, ordering British officials at the U.S.-led International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat to cease operations, and canceling the British Support Team that trains Palestinian Authority police in Ramallah.