Britain suspended free trade negotiations, summoned the Israeli ambassador and leveled new sanctions on West Bank settlements on Tuesday over Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The moves come a day after the UK, France and Canada condemned the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for its “egregious actions” in the besieged enclave.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK’s existing trade agreement is in effect but the government cannot continue discussions with an Israeli government pursuing what he called egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.
Lammy said the persistent cycle of violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank demanded action.
“The Israeli government has a responsibility to intervene and halt these aggressive actions,” Lammy said. “Their consistent failure to act is putting Palestinian communities and the two-state solution in peril.”
Lammy also announced his ministry was summoning the Israeli ambassador over Israel’s expansion of its military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, launched in the wake of the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants.
The announcement came as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also ramped up his criticism of Israel on Tuesday, saying the level of 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 told the UK’s Parliament.
Tuesday’s actions came a day after the UK, France and Canada condemned Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza and its actions in the occupied West Bank.
Starmer’s brief remarks followed a scathing joint condemnation he issued Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that marked 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 Israel did not cease its renewed military offensive and significantly lift restrictions on humanitarian aid. Netanyahu retorted that the statement was “a huge prize” for Hamas.
Starmer repeated the trio’s demand for a ceasefire, saying it was the only way to free the hostages that 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.”
International pressure has been building on Israel following a nearly three-month blockade of supplies into Gaza that led to warnings that widespread famine was imminent. Even the United States, a staunch ally of Israel, has voiced concerns over the growing hunger crisis.
While Israel allowed trucks with baby food and desperately needed supplies to begin rolling into Gaza on Monday, UN 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 October 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.
Macron has 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 recognising a Palestinian state, possibly in June when France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting 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 indicated that recognising 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.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
