The United Kingdom has announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including a ban on imports of goods produced in the settlements.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the measures in Parliament, accusing Israeli settlers of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians and alleging that the Israeli government has turned a “blind eye” to the violence.
Miliband said France and Canada would also announce bans on imports from Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.
The move comes as Israel plans to develop about 1,200 new homes in the occupied West Bank, while attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have increased this year.
According to the United Nations, injuries from settler attacks have risen to an average of three Palestinians per day.
Miliband said several other European countries, including the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain and Norway, had already banned settlement goods or were taking steps to do so.
He added that Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden had also pledged support for further action.
The announcement comes after Israeli and US officials warned Britain against imposing the sanctions. Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the move as a “grave miscalculation”.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned that British companies could face restrictions on doing business in some US states over the issue.
On the situation in Gaza, Miliband said the UK continued to support a “full” and “robust” legal process to determine allegations of genocide.
He said the UK supported the International Court of Justice in reaching a determination on the matter and would continue providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
BBC.
