Britain, France and Canada have announced coordinated measures targeting goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, stepping up pressure on Israel over settlement expansion and reaffirming their support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The British government announced the trade ban on Tuesday, saying it could no longer simply condemn the expansion of Israeli settlements without taking action. The move comes as Israel faces growing diplomatic criticism over its policies in the West Bank and its conduct in Gaza.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the House of Commons that the UK had to act against what it considers growing threats to the prospects of a Palestinian state.
“Today we refuse to be bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two-state solution,” Miliband said.
Miliband said Britain’s position was that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank was unlawful. He also said London believed Palestinians were facing ethnic cleansing in parts of the territory.
The UK has long supported the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Britain recognised a Palestinian state in 2025, joining a growing group of countries backing Palestinian statehood as part of efforts to advance a two-state settlement.
The latest trade restrictions add to measures imposed by Britain in June, when it sanctioned Israeli networks accused of financing, enabling and carrying out violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The latest sanctions come amid renewed international concern over Israel’s settlement expansion.
One of the main areas of concern is the E1 settlement project near Jerusalem. Palestinians and several Western governments have warned that development in the area could divide the West Bank and undermine the territorial continuity required for a future Palestinian state.
Miliband said the project posed a threat to the two-state solution.
On Tuesday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also announced the advancement of plans for 1,000 new homes in two other West Bank settlements.
The United Nations, Palestinians and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes that position.
Israel reacted angrily to Britain’s decision.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the expulsion of Britain’s ambassador from Israel. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to close the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, which is accredited to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog accused Britain of interfering in Israel’s domestic politics ahead of elections expected in late October.
The Israeli prime minister’s office and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The United States has also criticised Britain’s move.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told the BBC that the sanctions amounted to “discrimination against the Jewish people”. He also warned that the move could have consequences for British businesses operating in US states that restrict government contracts, procurement or public investment involving companies that boycott Israel.
The criticism highlights the widening disagreement between Israel and some of its traditional Western partners over settlement policy and the future of the Palestinian territories.
Britain, France and Canada are joining a wider group of European countries that have either banned or are planning to ban goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Miliband said the UK, France and Canada were joining the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain and Norway in taking or considering such measures.
The coordinated action reflects growing concern among Western governments that continued settlement expansion could make a negotiated two-state solution increasingly difficult.
