British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK cannot guarantee that sanctions on illegal West Bank settlements will succeed, although the measures aim to cut British finance and construction ties to settler projects. Announced jointly with France and Canada, the steps include import bans and targeted sanctions. Miliband also expressed frustration at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, condemned Hamas's October 7 attack, and argued that Israel's security depends on a two-state solution.
Miliband Says UK Sanctions On West Bank Settlements May Not Succeed — But Will Try To Cut Financial Links
FILE PHOTO - British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband leaves Millbank Studios in Westminster after appearing on morning news programmes. (is associated with: «UK's Miliband not 'definite' sanctions on settlements will work») James Manning/PA Wire/dpa
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he is not certain that the UK and its partners can halt illegal Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank through sanctions, a week after announcing measures aimed at restricting the occupation.
Sanctions Target Finance And Construction Links
Miliband outlined the government’s strategy as an effort to choke off the "supply lines" that enable settlement growth, specifically citing British finance and construction services used by settler projects. The measures, announced last week, include a ban on imports from settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and targeted sanctions on individuals and companies providing services to settlers.
The announcement followed the publication of a tender for the contested E1 settlement area east of Jerusalem, which Miliband warned would cut "through the heart of Palestine" and render a two-state solution unviable.
Coordination With International Partners
Speaking on the Rest Is Politics podcast with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, Miliband said the steps were taken jointly with France and Canada. He portrayed the sanctions as a lever intended to reduce the resources available to settlement expansion but acknowledged uncertainty about the outcome.
"Will it definitely succeed? I can't say it'll definitely succeed. Does it have a chance of succeeding, particularly with other international partners acting? Maybe it does."
Humanitarian Concerns And Gaza
Miliband also addressed the wider humanitarian crisis. He condemned Hamas's attack of 7 October 2023, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis, and said the UK strongly condemns that violence. At the same time he said the scale of devastation in Gaza is "so terrible," adding that nothing can justify what has unfolded there since the attack.
He referenced reports that suggest high Palestinian casualties since October 2023, and said the UK is taking humanitarian action while seeking ways to do more. Miliband announced plans to extend the UK sanctions regime to cover breaches of international humanitarian law, which could broaden the legal basis for action related to conduct in the conflict.
Politics, Security And The Two-State Solution
Miliband denied that the UK was attempting to influence Israel's upcoming elections, due on 27 October, but said the government wanted to make clear to the Israeli public that the international community will not simply accept continued occupation. He criticized settler violence and warned that the effective elimination of a two-state solution would be unacceptable.
He argued that Israel's long-term security depends on a viable two-state outcome and added a pointed critique of the Israeli government: "Netanyahu is not making Israel more secure. He's making it less secure."
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