UK to restrict trade from Israeli West Bank settlements, government says

The UK government will set out new restrictions on buying goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to announce in the Commons on Tuesday, with measures likely to target agricultural products and other trade linked to settlements.

Ministers describe the move as a comprehensive reset of the UK’s policy on Israel, and briefed Labour MPs that the measures could cover both goods and services connected to illegal settlements, although the full details have not been published.

An official involved said the government can currently sanction actors linked to settler violence but seeks broader powers to target contractors and other economic ties to settlements, while acknowledging that a ban on a relatively small quantity of mainly agricultural goods would be largely symbolic.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Labour MPs that Miliband would make the statement and said he had briefed international leaders by phone. No 10’s account of Burnham’s call with US President Donald Trump did not specify whether the sanctions were discussed, and the US has not commented publicly.

The announcement follows Israel opening tenders for about 1,200 settlement homes in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, a step that international actors have criticised and which ministers say risks undermining the viability of a two-state solution.

Milband has described the E1 plans as illegal under international law and as crossing a red line because they cut through the heart of the West Bank. The government notes that around 700,000 Israeli settlers live in roughly 160 settlements and that an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The planned measures signal a shift in the UK’s approach by extending potential trade restrictions beyond actors directly linked to settler violence to a wider range of economic ties with settlements, according to briefed Labour MPs and ministers quoted in the briefing.

The government frames the action as a policy reset tied to recent Israeli decisions on settlement construction, notably the E1 tenders, and as part of maintaining support for a two-state solution while using available sanctions powers more broadly.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• The UK will announce restrictions on buying goods from Israeli settlements, expected to include agricultural products.
• Measures are described as a comprehensive reset of UK policy and may cover both goods and services linked to settlements.
• The announcement follows Israel opening tenders for about 1,200 homes in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, cited by UK ministers as illegal under international law.