Lammy announces fresh wave of Israeli settler sanctions and blasts ‘inaction’

Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised the “inaction of the Israeli government” for allowing “impunity to flourish” among extremist settlers in the West Bank as the UK announced a fresh wave of sanctions in response to continued violence.

The measures target three outposts and four organisations that have supported and perpetrated “heinous abuses of human rights” against Palestinian communities in the occupied territory, the Cabinet minister said.

The new sanctions come as Lord David Cameron revealed that the previous government had been preparing to sanction two Israeli ministers over comments encouraging blocking aid to Gaza.

The four organisations sanctioned are Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, a religious school known to promote violence against non-Jewish people; Hashomer Yosh, a group which provides volunteers for illegal outposts; Torat Lechima, a registered charity which provides financial support to the settlements; and construction company Amana.

There has been a huge rise in settler violence in the West Bank over the last year, with the UN recording more than 1,400 attacks by the illegal settlers since October 2023.

Mr Lammy said: “When I went to the West Bank earlier this year, on one of my first trips as Foreign Secretary, I met with Palestinians whose communities have suffered horrific violence at the hands of Israeli settlers.

“The inaction of the Israeli government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked. Settlers have shockingly even targeted schools and families with young children.”

He said the latest measures will “help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights”.

Lord Cameron, Mr Lammy’s predecessor as foreign secretary, told the BBC on Tuesday that he had been “working up” sanctions against Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir during his final days in the role.

The Conservative former minister described the two Israeli ministers as “extremists” and argued it would have been a way of putting “pressure” on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act in line with international law.

Lord Cameron said: “When you look at what they say, they have said things like encouraging people to stop aid convoys going into Gaza, they have encouraged extreme settlers in the West Bank with the appalling things they have been carrying out.”

Asked why the sanctions had not been imposed, Lord Cameron said he had been advised the move would have been too “political” during an election.

Mr Smotrich was recently criticised for appearing to suggest it might be “just and moral” to withhold food aid from Gaza, while Mr Ben-Gvir has backed the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

He did, however, suggest that sanctions relating to settler violence in the West Bank would be “kept under close review” during this year’s Labour Party conference.

Lord Cameron urged the Government to “look again at the sanctions issue”, arguing that it is a better way of pressuring Mr Netanyahu than suspending arms exports to Israel.

A Foreign Office spokesman declined to comment on whether it would sanction the two ministers, saying: “The UK strongly condemns settler violence and inciteful remarks such as those made by Israel’s national security minister, Ben-Gvir, which threaten the status-quo of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.

“We do not comment on future sanctions designations.”

Downing Street also declined to comment on the possibility of sanctions, but said the Government will “continue to take action to challenge those who undermine a two-state solution”.

Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds would not be drawn on Lord Cameron’s remarks when challenged in the Commons during an urgent question on Gaza and Lebanon.

“No-one can be left unmoved by the level of human suffering we have seen recently on our screens. We need immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon more than ever,” he said.

“Does the minister agree that now is the time to use our sanctions regime against the extremist ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich?”

Ms Dodds said: “(Mr Miller) talked about those who have expressed views which are inflammatory or, even worse than that, remarks which are appallingly discriminatory. The UK Government has been wholehearted in its condemnation of those remarks.

“He asked about sanctions specifically. Of course the UK will always keep our sanctions regime closely under review, as he would expect, and we will announce any changes to the House.”