September 8, 2026: The United Kingdom has announced new measures against the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including restrictions on imports of goods from Israeli settlements and certain construction and financial services linked to them.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said on Tuesday that settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank were making a future two-state solution increasingly difficult. Expressing deep concern over the displacement of Palestinians from their homes and land, as well as settler violence, he described the actions as a form of “ethnic cleansing” in the West Bank.
The new British measures will cover goods imported from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, along with certain construction and financial services connected to those settlements. However, the UK stressed that the restrictions are not intended to halt overall trade with Israel. Instead, the objective is to increase pressure on Israel to stop settlement expansion.
Particular attention has been drawn to the E1 area of the West Bank. The British government fears that continued Israeli settlement activity there could disrupt the territorial contiguity of the West Bank, potentially undermining prospects for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.
Israel has strongly condemned the British decision, with several Israeli ministers calling for retaliatory measures. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the expulsion of the British ambassador.
The United States has also objected to the sanctions announced by Britain. However, the UK has said its security cooperation with Israel will continue.
Britain maintains that its position is aimed at preserving the prospect of a two-state solution involving Israel and an independent Palestinian state.