British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced Tuesday a series of new measures targeting Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, while declaring that Hamas must have no role in the future governance of Gaza.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Miliband said the British government had adopted a “new approach" to the conflict that would “not only call out injustice and suffering, but act."
“For a long time, the British government has said such settlements are illegal," Miliband said. “Today I announce the official view of the British government is that the occupation is unlawful."
Britain will move to ban trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria. The announcement was made jointly with France and Canada, which said they would also “bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods."
The three countries welcomed similar measures already taken or being considered by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and other European countries.
Miliband cited settlement expansion and what he described as “unprecedented levels of settler violence," specifically criticizing Israel's decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 area.
The joint statement called on Israel to halt settlement expansion, ensure accountability for violence by Israeli civilians and investigate allegations concerning Israeli forces. It also opposed what the signatories described as actions amounting to annexation and the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Miliband also said the British government agrees with the UN definition of ethnic cleansing and that ethnic cleansing is taking place in parts of Judea and Samaria.
“All too often, the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this," he told MPs.
At the same time, Miliband emphasized that Britain’s dispute is with the Israeli government rather than the Israeli people.
“Our argument is not with the people of Israel, but with the conduct of its government," he said, reiterating London's support for a two-state solution.
The joint statement said the measures are intended to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. The governments also acknowledged Israel's “legitimate security interests" and condemned the October 7 Hamas massacre, describing it as the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust.
Turning to Gaza, Miliband said Hamas must decommission its weapons and dismantle its “terrorist infrastructure."
Under the 20-point peace plan, he said, “Hamas can play no role in the future governance of Gaza."
Miliband said Israel has the right to live without fear, but devoted much of his remarks to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
He cited more than 70,000 deaths in Gaza, including 20,000 children, and said the vast majority of the population has been displaced. He accused Israel of routinely blocking lifesaving humanitarian aid and access and said more than 60% of homes in Gaza are “in ruins."
Asked about allegations that Israel is committing “genocide" in Gaza, Miliband said Britain's position is to support a “full" and “robust" examination of the allegations, with the courts considering the matter first.
“That will remain our policy," he said.
Miliband said it was appropriate that the issue is before the International Court of Justice.
“We support the court in coming to its determination," he said, adding that Britain would continue providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Miliband also announced further restrictions on arms exports to Israel.
He said Britain has already suspended more than 30 arms licenses connected to IDF operations in Gaza, with those suspensions remaining in place.
The UK will now refuse license applications for arms and other exports that “materially contribute to the occupation," a policy Miliband described as creating a “double lock against arms sales."
He said the restrictions would remain in effect as long as what Britain defines as the occupation continues.
Miliband also called on Israel to lift what he described as the “withholding of revenues," which he said is “financially crippling" the provision of essential services in Judea and Samaria.
Britain will also take action against companies and individuals providing services, including construction and financing, for settlement expansion.
“You will face the full force of UK sanctions," Miliband warned.
Advertising illegal settlements will also be prohibited in Britain, he said.
Miliband stressed that the measures target settlements rather than Israel as a whole.
“I wholeheartedly oppose the boycott divestment sanctions, or BDS campaign," he added.
He described the measures as a “clear message" to the Israeli government, Palestinians in the territories and the international community that Britain “will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution."
Miliband also addressed rising antisemitism in Britain, referring to the attack at the Heaton Park synagogue and describing the impact of antisemitism on British Jews.
He said Jewish children are being forced to attend school with security guards and described antisemitism as a “scourge" and an “evil."
He also pointed to increased government investment in security measures for Jewish communities.
Miliband said he is “proud" of his Jewish identity and argued that supporting Israel and supporting Palestinian statehood are not contradictory positions.
The joint statement reaffirmed the signatories' support for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel, citing relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The countries also pledged to combat antisemitism.
The statement concluded by expressing continued commitment to what it described as a “just and lasting peace," with Israel and a Palestinian state living alongside one another in peace and security.
Miliband said France and Canada will announce bans today on imports from Israeli settlements they consider illegal, joining the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain and Norway, which have already imposed or are pursuing similar restrictions.
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden have also pledged to support further action, he said.
He concluded by portraying the measures as part of a Britain that “upholds its values at home and around the world" and “stands up for what is right."
Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat said the Conservatives agree with the government that the current path is leading Israelis and Palestinians toward a “darker, more dangerous future."
Tugendhat said the conflict cannot be reduced to a single sentence, accusing the government of doing exactly that.
He criticized the UK’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, saying it runs counter to principles Britain has defended since 1933. He warned that the deep economic ties between Israel and the Palestinian territories mean “innocent Palestinians and Israelis will suffer."
Tugendhat also warned that turning Israel into a “pariah" could lead to a “further rise in antisemitic violence on our own streets."
He also put a series of questions to Miliband, asking what discussions he had held with Britain’s allies ahead of the decision and what assessment he had made of its potential impact on domestic security and community cohesion in the UK.
He warned of “growing antisemitism" in Britain and increasing violence targeting Jewish communities.
Tugendhat stressed that it is possible to criticize the Israeli government while continuing to defend the Jewish people’s right to a national home.
“We don’t make peace from just one side, nor do we make it alone," he concluded.
Miliband began his response by saying he “profoundly disagrees" with Tugendhat’s conclusions.
He argued that while Tugendhat supports and believes in a two-state solution, his proposed approach would amount to doing nothing as the possibility of achieving such a solution is destroyed.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller says his party supports the foreign secretary in “robustly challenging the illegal actions" of the Israeli government, while backing the right of both Israel and Palestine to exist and British Jews’ right to live free from antisemitism.
Asked about banning all arms exports to Israel, including F-35 components, Miliband says the UK stopped directly supplying parts to Israel’s F-35 programme in October 2024. He says Britain now only contributes indirectly through the global supply chain, which he calls “crucial."