UK suspends Israel trade talks over Gaza offensive
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The UK has paused free trade talks with Israel, summoned its ambassador and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers, as Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned a “monstrous” military escalation in Gaza.
What they said: Lammy called the offensive a “dark new phase in this conflict” and described Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s comments on “cleansing” Gaza and relocating residents as “extremist”, “dangerous”, “repellent” and “monstrous”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the escalation was “utterly intolerable” and criticised Israel’s plan to allow a “basic” quantity of aid as “totally and utterly inadequate”.
The UK also sanctioned individuals and groups in the West Bank linked to violence against Palestinians.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that trade talks with Britain, which started in 2022 under a previous Conservative government, had not advanced for some time and dismissed the sanctions as “puzzling” and “unjustified”.
UK-Israel trade totalled £5.76 billion last year, according to the Department of Business & Trade. Opposition leader Yair Golan warned Israel risked becoming a “pariah state”.
The context: Israel’s military has intensified its ground and air operations in Gaza, where strikes have killed more than 53,000 people, according to Palestinian officials.
A blockade on aid since March has left hundreds of thousands facing starvation, prompting warnings from international experts and mounting pressure from allies.
Yesterday, the UK, France and Canada said they were ready to take action if Israel doesn’t stop its military offensive.
The source: Financial Times
