UK imposes sanctions on West Bank settlements; Israel closes British consulate

The United Kingdom has announced targeted sanctions on goods and individuals linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that prompted Israel to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem and to expel or restrict several British envoys.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told MPs that the measures mark "the start of a new approach" by London to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and accused the Israeli government of "turning a blind eye" to what he called the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians by some settlers. Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, responded by accusing Miliband of spreading "scandalous lies" and announcing reprisals.

Escalation over settlements and diplomacy

Miliband said Britain would apply sanctions to products originating in West Bank settlements and to individuals who "help expand those settlements," and that a comprehensive sanctions regime would be introduced over the next six to nine months. He also announced a ban on advertising for the illegal settlements in the UK.

Reacting at a press briefing, Gideon Saar said: "We know we have many friends in Britain." He added: "Unfortunately, we have a hostile Labour government that consistently acts against the State of Israel and left us no choice but to respond to its hostile actions." Israel also barred entry to a group of 11 British MPs — including Jeremy Corbyn, Diana Abbott and all five Green Party MPs — accusing them of "antisemitic and anti‑Israel activities."

Miliband framed the policy shift as necessary to protect the two‑state solution. He told parliament the British government "agrees with the view that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank, which are occupied by terrorist settlers." He warned that planned development in the strategic E1 area east of Jerusalem — where Israel has issued tenders for about 1,200 new housing units — would make a two‑state solution "unviable."

The Foreign Secretary recalled Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state under the previous Keir Starmer government and cited the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice to argue that the occupation and settlement consolidation make Israel’s control of the West Bank unlawful. He said international humanitarian law requires states at war to protect civilians and ensure access to food and medicine, and that evidence from multiple inquiries pointed to "war crimes" that should be examined by courts.

The UK joined a statement with 11 other countries — France, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Sweden — saying the move marked another turning point in their approach to defending the two‑state solution and that they would adopt their own measures or back European restrictions on trade in settlement goods. Israel has for decades built around 160 settlements in the territories it occupied after the 1967 war, home to roughly 700,000 Jewish residents; about 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them. Attacks by settlers on Palestinians and their property rose between October 2023 and October 2025, according to the UK statement.

Photo: press material from the event