UK bans imports from West Bank settlements

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said on Tuesday Britain will ban imports from illegal West Bank settlements and sanction companies and individuals, a move that could curb settlement trade.

12-country sanctions coordination

Ministers from 12 countries, including Canada and France, confirmed they will restrict trade and take national measures targeting settlements, officials said. The announced steps cover an import ban on goods produced in settlements, restrictions on services that finance or build settlements, a ban on advertisements for settlement properties and targeted measures against individuals who have supported or incited violence, officials said.

The British package will also name companies and people that provide construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate services for settlement expansion, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said. He framed the measures as a response to what he described as forced displacement and growing evidence of abuses; ministers said the measures seek to pressure settlement expansion that they said undermines the prospect of a two-state solution.

Officials said the UK aims to put the measures in place within six to nine months, by June 8, 2027, and that implementation will be coordinated with like-minded partners. If other countries follow through, ministers said, the actions could tighten trade channels for settlement-linked goods and increase legal and financial risks for firms operating in those areas.