September 8, 2026 | 05:53 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Kingdom is reportedly preparing to implement a formal ban on trade with illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to British media on Monday, citing ANTARA.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to announce "major changes" in UK-Israel relations, including a ban on trade in certain goods and services from the territory, as well as their financing and advertising.
As quoted by The Guardian, the move aims to halt settlement expansion, which is seen as an attempt to eliminate the possibility of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, The Independent reported that the policy change was accelerated by the development of the "E1" project, a strategic corridor designed to sever links between the north and south of the occupied West Bank.
Miliband called the expansion "an unacceptable and damaging act," prompting Britain to intervene and try to preserve the two-state solution. The UK officially recognized the State of Palestine in September 2025, joining more than 140 other UN member states.
Miliband is also expected to use "stronger language" than his predecessors in discussing the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
According to reports, the statement will assert that the Israeli military, “in the name of security, is imposing unnecessary controls” on aid entering Gaza. London is also reportedly still open to joining South Africa's lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands. However, according to The Guardian, the current policy package is not expected to use the term "genocide."
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Monday condemned the expansion of illegal settlements and promised to take "comprehensive measures" immediately.
The move follows UN data showing violence by Israeli civilians in the occupied territories has reached "unprecedented levels," with more than 1,400 attacks resulting in casualties or property damage recorded in 2026.
Some 750,000 Israelis currently live in 516 illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied territories and are said to be making almost daily efforts to evict Palestinians from their land.
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