Israeli diplomats have left their embassy in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott today, (Friday), after the authorities gave them 48 hours to leave the country.
Diplomatic relations between Israel and the predominantly Muslim state have been strained since Israel's Gaza operation in January. Mauritania, a member of the Arab League, was one of only three Arab nations - the others are Egypt and Jordan - to have diplomatic relations with Israel.
On February 12 Mauritania closed its embassy in Israel, but the head of the country's military junta, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said that the move did not mean that Mauritania was severing relations with Israel, the Associated Press reported.