The U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, which serves Palestinians, will be absorbed into the new U.S. Embassy to Israel on Monday, the State Department said, Trend reported citing Reuters.
The decision to create a single diplomatic mission in Jerusalem was announced last October by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and had been widely expected for early March. The State Department announcement on Sunday gave the official date for the move.
State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said the decision was driven by operational efficiency and there would be “complete continuity of U.S. diplomatic activity and consular services.”
“It does not signal a change of U.S. policy on Jerusalem, the West Bank or the Gaza Strip,” he said in a statement. “The specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are subject to final status negotiations between the parties.”