UK government will ban goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank in a toughening of its stance

The UK government has announced plans to ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, escalating its stance in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is set to provide further details at a House of Commons briefing, following his recent pledge to "reset" UK-Israel relations.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden emphasized that the move is not a boycott of all Israeli products but is aimed specifically at curbing settlement expansion, which is deemed illegal under international law. The government's decision stems from Israel's ultranationalist and religious Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has overseen a significant increase in settlement construction in the West Bank, a territory seized from Israel in the 1967 Middle East conflict.

Israel views the West Bank as its biblical and historical homeland and opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state. The UK, an ally of Israel, recognized Palestinian statehood last year in an effort to reignite the two-state solution talks.