The United Kingdom, France, and Canada announced sweeping sanctions against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, in a move that drew a furious response from Israel, which ordered the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and banned more than a dozen British nationals from entering the country.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told parliament that the UK would introduce "a new comprehensive sanctions regime" over the next six to nine months, targeting illegal settlements and their expansion — not Israel as a whole. He announced an immediate import ban on goods from illegal West Bank settlements, as well as a ban on advertising those settlements inside the UK, and sanctions against individuals and companies that finance or enable settlement expansion. Miliband used unusually strong language, saying the British government agrees that "settler terrorists" are carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank — a practice he said the Israeli government had too often ignored or tacitly supported. He also formally declared the Israeli occupation of the West Bank unlawful, citing a 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. The UK additionally announced a new arms export restriction, stating that licences for weapons or goods seen as contributing to the occupation would be refused for as long as the occupation continues.

France and Canada joined the UK in a joint statement, alongside Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden — twelve countries in total — describing the situation in the West Bank as "rapidly deteriorating." The leaders of the UK, France, and Canada specifically cited Israel's recent decision to open construction tenders for approximately 1,200 housing units in the E1 area — a strategically significant zone east of Jerusalem whose development, critics warn, would physically divide the West Bank and make a Palestinian state unviable. The joint statement described that decision as "unacceptable" and said the collective measures "mark a further turning point in our approach to protecting the two-state solution." Israeli settlements in the West Bank — territory Israel has occupied since 1967 — are considered illegal under international law. The UN recorded over 1,500 settler violence incidents against Palestinians in the current year alone.

Israel's response was swift and sharp. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called Miliband's parliamentary remarks "outrageous lies" and announced the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, which represents the UK in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. Israel also barred 11 British MPs from entry, including Jeremy Corbyn and all five sitting Green Party members of parliament, accusing them of "antisemitic and anti-Israel activity." British personnel were also removed from an international coordination centre for Gaza aid in southern Israel, and UK activities training Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank were terminated. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the measures "a gross interference" in Israeli democracy ahead of elections, while ministers from the Israeli government accused London of antisemitism. The Palestinian Authority, in contrast, welcomed the sanctions as "an important step" in line with international law and called for further binding international measures.

The announcement deepened an already fraught diplomatic rift. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, writing in The Guardian, said Palestinian suffering was "a stain on the world's conscience" and that the UK could no longer allow its stated commitment to a two-state solution to remain words without action. Miliband, who described himself as "a proud British Jew" and affirmed Israel's right to exist, nonetheless said that right "cannot justify what has happened in Gaza," citing evidence of possible war crimes by Israeli forces. His statement drew criticism at home as well: the UK's Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called it "a dark day for British Jews," while the Conservative opposition acknowledged that illegal settlements were wrong but questioned the government's approach. The United States distanced itself from the move; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would not follow the UK's lead, and Donald Trump's ambassador to Israel warned of potential economic consequences for British businesses.