UK declares Israeli occupation of West Bank unlawful and targets settlements with sanctions

The UK government has accused Israeli settler “terrorists” of carrying out ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in the West Bank as it announced sweeping new sanctions.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Parliament the UK would now officially consider Israel’s occupation of the West Bank unlawful in its entirety.

“The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists,” Miliband said.

The measures include a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements, restrictions on services including financing and construction, and sanctions against individuals accused of promoting settler violence.

The UK will also restrict arms licences and exports that “materially contribute to the occupation”.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain had been too hesitant to act previously.

Israel strongly rejected the move. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Miliband of “outrageous lies” and said the British government was “systematically working against the state of Israel”.

Israel also announced the closure of the UK consulate in Jerusalem and said 12 British MPs and activists would be banned from entering the country.

Miliband stopped short of accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, saying Britain would await international court rulings, but said there was evidence of “war crimes.”