UK and allies impose sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank

Britain, Australia, Canada, France and Norway announced coordinated sanctions aimed at extremist Israeli settlers operating in the occupied West Bank. The measures target several settlement organisations and individuals and are intended to cut the financial flows that enable settler violence and the ongoing expansion of settlements, which the foreign ministers described as a threat to a two‑state solution.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that further steps will be taken if Israel does not curb settlement growth and settler attacks. France also barred Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country over alleged abuses. The sanctions were announced as the situation in the West Bank continues to deteriorate, with UN investigations reporting hundreds of Palestinian casualties linked to settler violence since 2023. The coalition said it stands ready to act again should Israeli authorities fail to address the violations.