UK, Allies Target Settlement Trade Amid Surge in Settler Violence
Britain’s prime minister has promised tougher action as Palestinian suffering deepens and the chance of a two-state solution slips further away. Speaking on Tuesday, Andy Burnham said the UK would no longer stay silent while lives are lost and land is taken in the occupied territories.
“We have called for years for a two-state solution in the Middle East, but those words mean nothing without action,” Burnham wrote on X. He described new British measures as “carefully judged” and “targeted,” aimed not at the Israeli people but at what he called the “unacceptable policies” of Israel’s government, according to Anadolu Agency.
Burnham admitted past hesitation, saying governments had feared being labelled anti-Israel. “For too long, we have been hesitant to act,” he said, calling Palestinian suffering “a scar on the conscience of the world.” He added that before taking office, he had judged the UK’s response “too slow and simply not good enough.”
The move comes as eleven countries, including the UK, France and Canada, announced plans to restrict trade with Israeli settlements deemed illegal under international law. Britain’s steps follow Israeli approval for 1,200 new homes in the occupied West Bank, drawing sharp criticism from capitals and the United Nations.
UN figures show violence by Israeli settlers has hit “unprecedented levels,” with more than 1,400 attacks causing injuries or property damage recorded in 2026 alone. Around 750,000 Israeli settlers now live in 516 settlements and outposts, often pressuring Palestinians to leave their land through daily intimidation and raids.
Burnham said the two-state solution remained the “best hope for peace and stability in the region,” but warned it was “under attack.” He pledged that Britain would match its words with measures designed to push both sides back toward negotiations and protect civilians caught in the crossfire.
The announcements mark a shift in tone from London, which has faced pressure to do more as settlement expansion and settler violence accelerate. Officials insist the steps are proportionate and focused on policy, not people, but they signal growing impatience with a status quo many now see as unsustainable.
