UK set to target West Bank settlements with new sanctions, minister says

London Britain was expected on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, to announce sanctions aimed at Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a government minister said, signalling a tougher UK stance on settlement expansion under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

What ministers said

Government minister Pat McFadden told Sky News that Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband would make a statement to parliament setting out “measures specifically targeted at the expansion of these settlements, which are illegal under international law in the West Bank.” McFadden did not provide further detail on the changes.

Speaking about the motivation for the measures, McFadden said they were driven by “the idea of keeping alive this possibility of seeing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.” He added: “I think it’s also important to say that Israel is an important trading partner for the UK. This isn’t intended to be a boycott of all Israeli goods.“

Possible trade restrictions

UK government ministers have suggested that goods produced in illegal settlements could be subject to trade restrictions as part of the planned changes.

Policy reset under Miliband and Burnham

The move comes after Andy Burnham entered Downing Street in July following Keir Starmer‘s resignation. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband last week vowed to announce a “comprehensive” reset of policy towards Israel and condemned “appalling settler terrorism” in the occupied West Bank.

McFadden specifically criticised the so-called E1 development plan, which he said involves more than 1,200 homes approved by Israel last year and described by Miliband as “the crossing of a red line, as it cuts through the heart of the West Bank and risks making a Palestinian state unviable.”

Reactions and wider context

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue establishing settlements and promised a “major wave of immigration to the Palestinian territory,” the report said. Recent settler violence in the West Bank prompted rare condemnation from Netanyahu and “unusually strong criticism” from the US ambassador, according to the source.

An AFP tally cited in the report said that, based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, at least 1,105 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. The report also noted there are more than 500,000 Israelis living in illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory, alongside about three million Palestinians.

What comes next

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was due to set out the government’s measures to parliament. The source did not provide further detail on timings or the specific instruments the UK planned to use.