The UK government has suspended free trade agreement negotiations with Israel, summoned the Israeli ambassador and announced new sanctions targeting Israeli settlers in the West Bank following what it described as an alarming escalation of military operations in Gaza.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told MPs on Tuesday he was “horrified” by the scale of Israel’s renewed offensive, as Foreign Secretary David Lammy declared the current military actions were incompatible with the values that underpin Britain’s relationship with Israel.
“We cannot stand by in the face of this new deterioration,” Lammy told Parliament. “Frankly, it’s an affront to the values of the British people. Therefore, today, I’m announcing that we have suspended negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement.”
The development comes just days after Israel launched a new phase of its military campaign in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel intends to take full control of the enclave. The ongoing blockade on aid, blocking food, fuel, and medical supplies, has raised fears of famine among international observers.
In a joint statement on Monday, the UK, France, and Canada condemned Israel’s expansion of military operations and warned of “further concrete actions” if the offensive continues. The leaders also reiterated calls for Hamas to release remaining hostages taken during its October 7 attack.
Addressing Parliament, Starmer repeated his demand for a ceasefire and criticised the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. “We repeat our demand for a ceasefire as the only way to free the hostages,” he said, “and we repeat our demand to massively scale up humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
In addition to halting trade talks, Britain also announced sanctions on several individuals and groups operating in the West Bank, accusing them of being involved in violence against Palestinians. This move follows earlier sanctions imposed in 2024 on settler organisations tied to extremist activity.
“Today we are demonstrating again that we will continue to act against those who are carrying out heinous abuses of human rights,” Lammy added.
Most of the international community considers the settlements, built on land occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, to be illegal under international law.
Israel’s military campaign has devastated Gaza, with more than 53,000 people reported dead and nearly all of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents displaced, according to local health authorities.
Netanyahu has defended the actions, calling the conflict a “war of civilisation over barbarism,” and has vowed Israel will “continue to defend itself by just means until total victory.”
