US Congressional delegation announces Israel visit to study moving embassy to Jerusalem

Comes after President Donald Trump said he would 'love' to see the move

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks by the US embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel (REUTERS)

A US Congressional delegation will visit Israel tomorrow to look into the option of relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem.

President Donald Trump has previously said he would "love" to see the embassy moved from its current location in Tel Aviv. He made the comments during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, and added: "We're looking at that very, very strongly, we're looking at that with great care, and we'll see what happens."

Critics have said the move, which Mr Trump first raised during his Presidential campaign, would damage the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

US officials and Israeli Foreign Ministry sources had said that the incoming US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, could be based in Jerusalem while the official embassy building remained in Tel Aviv.

Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognised by the international community in the 1967 Six Day War, and both the Israelis and Palestinians claim the city as their capital.

Almost all countries’ diplomatic missions to Israel are located in Tel Aviv. The proposed move has been strongly criticised by Palestinian Authority officials including President Mahmoud Abbas, liberal Israeli groups, and the US’ allies throughout the Arab and wider world.

More follows