The British government on Tuesday intensified its criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza by suspending free trade negotiations and imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
The decisive move comes as global criticism intensifies over Israel’s nearly three-month blockade of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, which has prompted warnings of famine from aid organisations and concern even from staunch allies like the United States, according to AP.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank.
The UK’s action followed a rare coordinated rebuke issued Monday by Britain, France, and Canada, condemning Israel’s conduct in Gaza and its settlement expansion in the West Bank.
While the existing UK-Israel trade agreement remains in effect, the suspension of talks for a new deal marks one of the strongest diplomatic measures Britain has taken since the conflict began.
Sanctions announced on Tuesday target individuals and groups associated with violent settler activity in the West Bank, signalling a shift in the UK’s stance as the humanitarian toll in the region deepens.
AP reports that Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, was summoned to the Foreign Office on Tuesday, where Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer condemned Israel’s 11-week blockade of aid to Gaza as “cruel and indefensible.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the UK was expanding its sanctions, targeting three individuals, two illegal settler outposts, and two organisations accused of supporting violence against Palestinians.
He accused the Israeli government of directly backing the expansion of illegal settlements across the West Bank.
Lammy’s statement followed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s forceful remarks on Monday, who described the suffering of children in Gaza as “utterly intolerable” and reiterated his demand for an immediate ceasefire.
“We’re horrified by the escalation from Israel,” Starmer declared. He joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in issuing one of the strongest rebukes of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank by any of its close allies since the war began.
The three leaders warned that they would consider “concrete actions” unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu halted the renewed military offensive and eased restrictions on humanitarian aid. Netanyahu dismissed the joint statement as a “huge prize for Hamas.”
Starmer stressed that a ceasefire was the only viable path to securing the release of hostages still held by Hamas. He also criticised the limited volume of aid entering Gaza, calling it “utterly inadequate.”
“This war has gone on far too long,” Starmer said. “We must act collectively. We cannot allow the people of Gaza to starve.”
While Israel allowed limited truckloads of baby food and essential supplies into Gaza on Monday, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the aid as “a drop in the ocean” compared to what is urgently required.
Initially, Israel enjoyed broad international support following Hamas’s surprise October 7, 2023 attack, which killed around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and led to 251 hostages being taken. However, that support has eroded as Palestinian casualties mount.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 53,000 Palestinians—primarily women and children—have been killed since the conflict began. More than 300 people have died in recent Israeli strikes, local health officials said.
In recent weeks, Macron has stepped up diplomatic pressure on Israel, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the aid blockade.
He has also suggested that France could recognise a Palestinian state, possibly as early as June, when it co-hosts an international conference with Saudi Arabia focused on implementing a two-state solution.
During a visit to Egypt, Macron met with injured Palestinians at El Arish hospital and said recognition of Palestine is not a “taboo” for France.
He has also proposed reviewing the European Union’s cooperation agreements with Israel.
