In the most severe condemnation issued by the British government to date, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced a broad range of sanctions targeting trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. Speaking on Monday, Miliband accused Israeli “terrorists” of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the West Bank with the tacit support of the state.
Miliband stated that the UK would now officially regard Israel’s entire occupation of the West Bank as unlawful. He described this diplomatic shift as “the least the people who face such suffering deserve” and insisted it should serve as a precursor to justice.
The newly introduced measures include a complete import ban on goods originating from illegal settlements, alongside a comprehensive sanctions regime prohibiting the provision of services such as construction and financing to these areas. Additionally, the UK will ban the advertising of illegal settlement properties domestically.
Further restrictions target key individuals accused of promoting settler violence through personal sanctions, while a new prohibition will block arms licenses and other exports deemed to materially contribute to the occupation.
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