U.K. suspends free trade talks with Israel and announces sanctions over West Bank settlers

LONDON (AP) — The British government ramped up its criticism of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza by suspending free trade talks Tuesday and hitting West Bank settlers with sanctions.

The moves came as international pressure mounts on Israel following a nearly three-month blockade of supplies into Gaza that led to famine warnings. Even the United States, a staunch ally of Israel, has voiced concerns over the growing hunger crisis.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the situation in Gaza as abominable and said that while an existing trade agreement was in place, the government couldn’t continue discussions with an Israeli government pursuing what he called egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.

“The world is judging,” Lammy said. “History will judge them. Blocking aid. Expanding the war. Dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners. This is indefensible. And it must stop.”

The actions came a day after the U.K, France and Canada issued a joint statement condemned Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza and its actions in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli’s ambassador to the U.K., Tzipi Hotovely, was summoned to the Foreign Office on Tuesday where Middle East minister Hamish Falconer planned to call the 11-week blockade of aid to Gaza “cruel and indefensible.”

Lammy announced that in addition to previous sanctions imposed by the U.K., it was now imposing sanctions on a further “three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organizations supporting violence against Palestinian community.”

He said the illegal Israeli settlements were spreading across the West Bank “with the explicit support of this Israeli government.”

Lammy’s remarks followed those of Prime Minister Keir Starmer who said the suffering by children in Gaza was “utterly intolerable” and repeated his call for a ceasefire.

“I want to put on record today that we’re horrified by the escalation from Israel,” Starmer said.

Starmer joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday in issuing one of the most significant criticisms by close allies of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza and its actions in the West Bank.

The three leaders threatened to take “concrete actions” if the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not cease its renewed military offensive and significantly lift restrictions on humanitarian aid. Netanyahu said the statement was “a huge prize” for Hamas.

Starmer said a ceasefire was the only way to free the hostages Hamas still holds. He also called for increased shipments of humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying the basic quantity allowed by Israel is “utterly inadequate.”

“We must coordinate our response, because this war has gone on for far too long,” Starmer said. “We cannot allow the people of Gaza to starve.”

While Israel allowed trucks with baby food and desperately needed supplies to begin rolling into Gaza on Monday, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the volume of aid a “drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed.”

Israel initially received widespread international support to root out Hamas militants following the group’s surprise attack that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7, 2023, and took 251 captives.

But patience with Israel is wearing thin after more than 53,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. Israel’s latest onslaught has killed more than 300 people in recent days, local health officials said.

In recent weeks, Macron intensified diplomatic efforts to put pressure on Israel, urging a ceasefire and calling for lifting the blockade of humanitarian aid.

Last month, Macron said France should move toward recognizing a Palestinian state, possibly in June when France and Saudi Arabia co-host an international conference about implementing a two-state solution. The comments came after a visit to Egypt during which he met with injured Palestinians at El Arish hospital.

Macron, who has said that recognizing Palestine is not a ″taboo″ for France, last week suggested that revisiting the EU’s cooperation agreements with Israel is on the table.

Tensions between France and Israel have escalated after Macron called for stopping arms deliveries for use in Gaza in an October radio interview, prompting Netanyahu’s strong criticism.

France also sought to impose a ban on Israeli defense companies to prevent them from exhibiting weapons at the Euronaval trade exhibition.

Brian Melley And Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press