Over 130 lawyers warn UK sanctions on Israeli settlements don't go far enough

More than 130 legal experts, including former judges and scholars, have expressed concern that the UK's recently announced sanctions against Israeli settlements do not comply with the country's obligations under international law. In a six-page letter addressed to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Tuesday, the legal professionals welcomed the government's decision to join Canada and France in taking action, but emphasized that the measures covered in the recent announcement pale in comparison to Britain's legal responsibilities to oppose Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, as ruled by the International Court of Justice in 2024.

According to the UK's announcement, the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory was deemed illegal. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated in parliament that he acknowledges the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians occurring in the West Bank. Government sources confirmed to the Middle East Eye (MEE) that Israel's settlements in the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, and the occupied West Bank would be included in the UK's new measures, alongside those already targeted in the West Bank.

Eleven other nations - Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden - have either joined the UK in supporting or considering sanctions on trade with these settlements.