The United Kingdom announced new sanctions on individuals and entities it says are involved in financing, enabling, and carrying out violence against Arabs in Judea and Samaria.
In a statement to Parliament on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK, together with international partners, is taking coordinated action against networks linked to attacks on Palestinian communities.
The UK, alongside Canada, France, and Norway, is imposing sanctions on six entities and one individual. Australia and New Zealand published coordinated sanctions last week.
According to the Foreign Office, those designated will face asset freezes and, where appropriate, travel bans and director disqualifications. The measures are intended to disrupt financial flows supporting extremist settler groups operating in Judea and Samaria.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, France, Norway, and the United Kingdom stated that they had taken coordinated action in response to what they described as a deteriorating situation in the region.
The ministers said extremist, violent settlers, with the backing of their supporters, continue to attack Palestinian Arabs and abuse their human rights. They said such violence is used to displace Arabs, destroy property, and support "settlement activity," which they said undermines the viability of a Palestinian state and prospects for peaceful coexistence.
The joint statement said violent settlers have been able to act with near impunity for too long and alleged that settlement expansion and the creation of outposts continue with the support and facilitation of the Israeli government. It also stated that, in some cases, settler violence takes place under the protection of Israel’s security forces.
The five countries urged the Israeli government to ensure accountability for violence in Judea and Samaria, calling for attacks to be investigated, action to be taken against outposts and organizations linked to violence, and measures to stop incitement.
The ministers said they believe peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians can only be achieved through the implementation of a two-state solution and pledged to continue working toward that goal.
The Foreign Office stated that Australia, Canada, France, Norway, and the United Kingdom have all recognized a Palestinian state and are acting together in support of what they described as efforts to protect the viability of a two-state solution.
The UK reiterated its position that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are illegal under international law and said settlement activity undermines efforts to achieve a lasting peace agreement.
For the first time, the Foreign Secretary also announced that official UK guidance will explicitly advise businesses against economic and financial activity in what the UK describes as illegal settlements. The government said it continues to support trade with Israel within the 1967 lines while stating there should be no economic involvement in settlements beyond those lines.
Cooper is expected to tell Parliament: “Today we are acting with our international partners to sanction those who support and sponsor violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank."
“Settler expansion and violence is illegal and a fundamental threat to the viability of a two-state solution, and to long-term peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.
“These measures show the UK is leading with our partners to target those who are fuelling this violence."
The Foreign Office said the measures come amid continued "settlement expansion," including the E1 project, and what it described as record levels of violence by Jews against Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria.
The UK also called on the Israeli government to end the expansion of communities, address violence, prosecute those responsible, and remove restrictions affecting the Palestinian economy. The government stated that it would not hesitate to take further action if the situation does not improve.
In their joint statement, Australia, Canada, France, Norway, and the United Kingdom said they stand ready to take further action if the Israeli government does not take urgent steps to address the situation on the ground.
As part of broader efforts related to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the Foreign Secretary is expected to announce an additional £1 million for humanitarian mine action in Gaza, in addition to the £4 million already contributed.
She is also expected to call on Israel to open all crossings and remove restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid and equipment. In addition, Cooper will announce plans to attend the Palestinian Donor Group meeting in Paris in July.
The Foreign Office further confirmed at least £10 million in financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian Authority in 2026, including support aimed at addressing its fiscal crisis and sustaining frontline services such as healthcare.
The sanctioned entities and individuals named by the Foreign Office are The Farms Association, Ahavat Gilad, Ari Yshag, Artzenu, Shivat Zion Lerigvey Admata, Eyal Hari Yehuda Company Ltd., and Itamar Yehuda Levi.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the measures, calling them "disgraceful."
According to Sa'ar, "The real essence of these steps is the attempt to impose a political stance regarding the right of Jews to settle in the Land of Israel and concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, camouflaged as measures against violence."
Sa'ar turned the attack on the countries imposing sanctions, accusing: "What these governments have in common is their resounding failure to combat the antisemitism that is rampant in their own countries. Anti-Israeli policies of the kind adopted today only serve to fuel that antisemitism."
"Astonishingly, these governments have also failed to impose sanctions or take action against the phenomena that truly drive violence - the Palestinian Authority’s salaries for terrorists (“pay-for-slay") policy and incitement," he added.
Yisrael Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, also condemned the measures: “Rather than confronting the security threat posed by the Palestinian Authority, the United Kingdom and other countries have chosen to impose sanctions on civilian leaders in Judea and Samaria. Strengthening the Palestinian Authority does not advance peace or stability; it increases the security risk facing every Israeli citizen. With the financial support it receives from foreign governments, the Palestinian Authority continues to fund terrorists and their families, promote incitement to terrorism through its education system, and maintain an armed force of tens of thousands of members of its security services just minutes from Jerusalem and Israel’s central population centers. At any moment, those weapons could be turned against Israeli civilians, raising the risk of another tragedy like the October 7 massacre."
He added that "Israel’s response to these sanctions should be addressed by the current Knesset rather than postponed to a future government. It should include dismantling the Palestinian Authority, ending the artificial division of Judea and Samaria into Areas A, B, and C, and strengthening Israel’s presence and sovereignty throughout the region. The Palestinian Authority is a corrupt entity that is bad for Arabs, bad for Jews, and bad for the world."