Key facts
- UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will announce a reset of UK relations with Israel.
- The UK will implement a ban on trade in goods and some services from illegal Israeli settlements.
- The government will reassert the call for a two-state solution and protection of Palestinian rights.
- Miliband stated that Israel places unnecessary controls on aid entering Gaza.
- The UK officially regards Israeli settlements built on territories captured in 1967 as illegal under international law.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is set to announce a significant shift in the UK's relationship with Israel, including a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements. This move, described as a 'reset', aims to actively support Palestinian rights and uphold international law, moving beyond mere rhetorical support for a two-state solution. Miliband intends to use stronger language than his predecessors to address the humanitarian injustices faced by Palestinians in Gaza, asserting that Israel places unnecessary controls on aid entering the territory. The Israeli foreign ministry has denied these claims.
The UK's ban on settlement goods aligns with an International Court of Justice advisory opinion and will extend to some services, such as financing and advertising. This policy shift comes amid growing domestic support in Britain for such a ban, with a significant majority favouring it. The UK officially considers all Israeli settlements built on territories captured in the 1967 war to be illegal under international law. Total trade between the UK and Israel was valued at £6bn in 2025, and the scale of potential disruption depends on Israeli reprisals.
The decision is partly influenced by Israel's E1 settlement project, which could effectively divide the West Bank, and the rise in settler violence. Miliband's stance also comes as the UK considers joining international legal actions against Israel. The intervention has already drawn sharp reactions, with Israel threatening reprisals and the US ambassador to Israel making controversial claims about the Labour government. Notably, comments from Benjamin Netanyahu's son, Yair, regarding the Falkland Islands and Donald Trump's subsequent remarks have added a geopolitical dimension to the unfolding situation.