08/09/2026
Today, I sent out a letter to those who have contacted me regarding Israel and Palestine.
This week, the new Foreign Secretary made a statement to the House of Commons outlining the revised position of the UK Government in relation to the crisis in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The two-state solution – freedom, security, and self-determination for both Palestinian and Israeli people – is the North Star of the Government’s policy, but recent developments have brought it under substantial threat. The issuing of a tender for the E1 settlement scheme by the Israeli Government in particular, as well as the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza facilitated by them, indicate that renewed action must be taken in order to protect the viability of the two-state solution.
I should say at the outset that the Government’s argument is not with the people of Israel, but with the government of Israel. Any attempt to conflate the two must be rigorously opposed and blaming individual Israelis or Jews for events in the region just because they are Israeli or Jewish is antisemitism, plain and simple.
I am proud of what the UK has done so far to alleviate the crisis in the region. This Labour Government has already sent record levels of aid to the region, suspended arms licences, sanctioned members of the Israeli Government, restored funding for the UNRWA, and taken the historic step of recognizing the State of Palestine. Now, however, it is right that we go further in order to keep the two-state solution alive.
In the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), the continued expansion of illegal settlements and the use of terrorist tactics by settlers critically undermine the integrity of the Palestinian state and the rights of Palestinians. In the view of the UK Government, the concerted effort at settlement expansion constitutes an attempt to ethnically cleanse the region of Palestinians, with the tacit support of the Israeli Government. Furthermore, the utter disregard for the rights and wellbeing of Palestinians in the OPTs voids any justification that the State of Israel might have for occupying those areas, and as such the UK Government now believes the occupation itself to be illegal, in addition to the invasive settlements within it.
In line with these developments, I am pleased that the Government has announced an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the OPTs. There will also be significant sanctions levied against any organisation which provides services involved in the construction of illegal settlements, a ban on the advertising of these settlements in the UK, and more individual settlers sanctioned. Moving to arms, the Government will now refuse all licence applications for any arms or other exports which materially contribute to the occupation of the OPTs. The expectation is that the legislation will be in place within six to nine months. If E1 proceeds and the situation does not change, the UK Government retains the right to take further action in line with legal thresholds.
Moving to Gaza, all parties must abide by the terms of the 20-point peace plan, allowing aid to flow into Gaza unchallenged and putting down their weapons. It is clear, however, that there are still those in the territory who are working to undermine the ceasefire, and as such I am pleased that the UK Government has announced that it will take targeted action against anyone responsible for violating international humanitarian law (IHL) in Gaza. Legal determinations on war crimes and genocide are rightly being made by the courts, not by governments, and the UK supports the ICJ in coming to their conclusions on those issues.
The UK will continue to be at the forefront of getting aid into Gaza, with for instance more than 800,000 medical consultations being performed this year in UK-supported hospitals, and UK medical expertise providing essential support to over a thousand child amputees. We also continue to welcome students from Gaza to study in the UK. However, this action, while crucial, will struggle to overcome the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza unless the Israeli Government changes course, and this is why the expansion of the Global Human Rights sanctions regime to more easily target individuals involved in violations of IHL is so essential.
The UK Government is acting in concert with our international partners, with France also announcing a ban on settlement imports this week, and many other countries pledging they will work towards one. At the UN General Assembly in New York later this month, the UK will join Jordan and others in calling for further action on health and humanitarian access.
Finally, I echo the Foreign Secretary’s following comments, summing up the UK Government’s approach:
“Madam Deputy Speaker, today we refuse to be bystanders to further suffering, and to the destruction of the two-state solution. […] Above all we say: Britain is not silent in the face of deep injustice and nor is it powerless.”
Should you wish to be included in further updates on this subject, please do contact my office.
