Britain said Thursday that it was "temporarily" removing the families of staff at its embassy and consulate in Israel from the country amid ongoing unrest.
"We are temporarily drawing down dependants of staff at our Embassy in Tel Aviv and our Consulate in Jerusalem as a precautionary measure," said a Foreign Office spokesperson.
"Our Embassy and Consulate remain fully staffed and continue to provide consular services to those who require assistance," it added.
The UK currently advises its nationals against all but essential travel to Israel.
The Israeli army said Thursday it was preparing for a ground assault on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The army has deployed tens of thousands of troops to the border with the Gaza Strip as it continues with a withering air campaign it says targets Hamas infrastructure, commanders and operating centres in the enclave.
The air strikes came in response to a surprise assault on Saturday by Hamas fighters that left more than 1,200 people killed in Israel.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Raveena Tandon And Rasha Thadani's Red Carpet Moment
White House Slams Violence Against West Bank Palestinian Settlers By Israel Ceasefire Must Involve "Complete" Israeli Withdrawal From Gaza: Hamas Gaza Ceasefire Talks Underway In Qatar As Deaths Top 40,000 Mamata Banerjee's Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Australia Rejects 7000 Palestinian Visas, Approves More For Israelis: Report Will AI Bubble Burst? All The Buzz Around The Hottest Tech Trend PM Shri Schools Are Inspiring Rural Children: Dharmendra Pradhan Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.