The UK suspends free trade talks: Less than a day after promising “concrete actions” if Israel didn’t halt its latest military offensive in Gaza, the United Kingdom terminated free trade negotiations with Israel on Tuesday and imposed sanctions on West Bank residents.
Israel is coming under increasing pressure from close allies after a nearly three-month supply blockade in Gaza that resulted in starvation warnings. The hunger problem has even drawn the attention of the United States, a strong ally.
The government cannot continue to upgrade its current trade agreement with an Israeli government that is following what he described as appalling practices in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“They will be judged by history,” Lammy declared. “blocking assistance.” extending the conflict. ignoring your friends’ and partners’ worries. This cannot be justified. And it needs to end.
When Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer called the 11-week humanitarian blockade to Gaza “cruel and indefensible,” Israeli Ambassador to the U.K. Tzipi Hotovely was called to the Foreign Office.
Kaja Kallas, the head of the European Union’s foreign policy, stated that the organization was examining a trade agreement with Israel on its handling of the Gaza War.
After presiding over a gathering of foreign ministers, Kallas stated at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday that “a huge majority” of member countries are “very keen on sending this message that the suffering of these people is untenable.” She did not give precise information about the review’s timeline or procedures.
A further “three individuals, two illegal settler outposts, and two organizations supporting violence against the Palestinian community” are being sanctioned by the United Kingdom, according to Lammy.
He claimed that “with the explicit support of this Israeli government,” illegal Israeli settlements were expanding throughout the West Bank.
Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, described the restrictions against West Bank settlements as “unjustified and regrettable” and claimed that the United Kingdom was not advancing the free trade agreement talks nonetheless.
While some members of the House of Commons applauded Lammy’s remarks, others demanded more forceful action, including recognition of the state of Palestine and punitive sanctions against Israel.
Some members yelled for him to refer to Israel’s activities as “genocide,” but Lammy called them “extremism” and “monstrous.”
Others said the united statement was biased in favor of Hamas.
“It is not rewarding Hamas to oppose the expansion of a war that has killed thousands of children,” Lammy stated.
The United Kingdom’s announcement came as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated his support for a ceasefire and described the plight of children in Gaza as “utterly intolerable.”
We’re appalled by Israel’s escalation, and I want to make that clear today,” Starmer stated.
Starmer joined Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron in voicing one of the strongest condemnations of Israel’s conduct in the West Bank and Gaza by close friends on Monday.
If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration does not halt its ongoing military offensive and drastically reduce limitations on humanitarian aid, the three leaders warned to take “concrete actions.”
The statement was referred to by Netanyahu as “a huge prize” for Hamas.
Hamas still holds dozens of captives, and Starmer claimed the only way to rescue them is through a truce. Additionally, he demanded that more humanitarian supplies be sent into Gaza, claiming that Israel’s basic amount is “utterly inadequate.”
Starmer declared, “This war has lasted far too long.” “We cannot let the Gazan people go hungry.”
U.N. humanitarian head Tom Fletcher called Israel’s Monday approval of the first few trucks carrying baby food and other badly needed goods into Gaza a “drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed.” Dozens more vehicles arrived Tuesday, according to Israel.
After Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on October 7, 2023, killing almost 1,200 people, largely civilians, and taking 251 hostages, Israel first earned broad international support to drive out the group.
However, after more than 53,000 Palestinian deaths—mostly women and children—according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count, patience with Israel is wearing thin. More than 300 people have been murdered in Israel’s most recent assault, according to local health experts.
Macron has stepped up diplomatic efforts to pressure Israel recently, calling for the removal of the humanitarian aid blockade and a truce.
When France and Saudi Arabia co-host an international conference about establishing a two-state solution in June, Macron stated last month that France should take steps toward recognising a Palestinian state.
Macron, who has stated that France does not consider the recognition of Palestine to be taboo, hinted last week that a review of the EU’s cooperation agreements with Israel is possible.
After Macron criticised Netanyahu in an October radio broadcast for calling for halting arms deliveries for use in Gaza, tensions between France and Israel have increased. To stop Israeli defense businesses from displaying weapons at the Euronaval trade show, France also attempted to place a ban on them.
Prior sanctions on Israeli settlers and settlement groups were imposed by the United States, France, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada due to their involvement in violence against Palestinians and illegal development in the West Bank.
The actions put the sanctioned individuals and organizations at risk of asset freezes as well as travel and visa restrictions. As previously reported by the Associated Press, the deterrent effect of these efforts has been minimal.
Since the 2023 Hamas attack, the number of settlers attacking Palestinians and killing them has increased. Israel claims to be against settlement violence and attributes it to a fringe group of extremists.
Palestinians claim that the attacks are a part of a larger effort to drive them off their land and that the Israeli army does nothing to protect them.
