Key facts
- The UK, Australia, Canada, France, and Norway have imposed coordinated sanctions on networks financing and enabling settler violence in the West Bank.
- Six entities and one individual have been sanctioned by the UK for their involvement in settler violence.
- Sanctioned parties will face asset freezes and travel bans.
- The UK is advising businesses against economic and financial activity in illegal Israeli settlements.
- The UK has provided additional funding for humanitarian mine action in Gaza and support for the Palestinian Authority.
The United Kingdom, in coordination with Australia, Canada, France, and Norway, has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities involved in financing and enabling settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans, are intended to hold extremist settlers accountable for escalating violence against Palestinians.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the measures, stating that settler expansion and violence are illegal under international law and pose a fundamental threat to the viability of a two-state solution and long-term peace. The UK's official guidance will now explicitly advise businesses against economic and financial activity in illegal settlements, while continuing to support trade within the 1967 lines.
These actions follow a significant increase in settler attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. The UN documented a substantial rise in such attacks in 2025, resulting in casualties and property damage. Settlement expansion has also accelerated under the current Israeli government.
In addition to the sanctions, the UK is providing further support for Gaza, including humanitarian mine action, and financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority to help navigate its fiscal crisis and sustain critical services. The UK continues to urge the Israeli government to end settlement expansion, clamp down on settler violence, and prosecute those responsible.
Israel has rejected the sanctions, characterizing them as political acts disguised as measures against violence. The move by the UK and its allies underscores their commitment to international law and a two-state solution, while also highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving peace and security in the region.