Key facts
- The UK has imposed a trade ban on goods originating from Israeli West Bank settlements.
- The UK declared the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory illegal.
- The UK government has concluded that ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is occurring in the occupied West Bank.
- The UK's measures align with a 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion.
- France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden will also introduce or consider trade restrictions with settlements.
The United Kingdom, along with France, Canada, and 11 other nations, is set to implement sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced measures that appear to comply with a 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal.
Miliband stated that the British government now officially views the occupation as unlawful, citing Israel's entrenchment of control, intention to extend permanent sovereignty, and expansionist agenda through illegal settlements. He also declared that the UK government has concluded there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank perpetrated by Israeli settlers, accusing the Israeli government of condoning these abuses and the displacement of Palestinians.
The ICJ's 2024 opinion found that Israel's settlement policy breaches international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention's prohibition on an occupying power transferring its own population into occupied territory. The court also stated that other states must not aid or assist in maintaining the occupation and should work towards ending Israel's unlawful presence, including by not engaging in trade dealings that sustain Israeli settlements.
In a joint statement, the UK, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden confirmed their intention to introduce or consider national and/or European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements deemed illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice for Palestine (ICJP) welcomed the UK's sanctions but cautioned that they must be effectively enforced.