UK government suspends free trade talks with Israel over Gaza war

Due to Israel’s military actions in the conflict in Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed recently as a result of bombardment and the launch of a new ground offensive, the British government has announced that it will suspend future free trade negotiations with the country.

Additionally, the United Kingdom announced on Tuesday that it would impose sanctions on Israeli-led illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The actions came a day after the UK, France, and Canada criticized Israel’s handling of the West Bank assaults and raids and the Gaza war.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer retorted his sharp criticism of Israel, calling the level of children’s suffering in Gaza “utterly intolerable” and reiterating his plea for a ceasefire.

The Labour government has received a lot of criticism abroad for not saying or doing enough to support Palestinians who are constantly under siege and facing starvation in Gaza. Every week, thousands of protesters gather at Stop the War.

In recent months, Israeli soldiers have been conducting daily raids on Palestinians, which has caused settler violence to increase.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy claimed that although the UK’s current trade agreement is still in place, new discussions cannot be had with an Israeli government that is “pursuing hateful policies” in Gaza and the West Bank.

Lammy argued that action needed to be taken because Israeli settlers in the West Bank continue to use force. The UK&nbsp was now imposing sanctions on “three individuals, two illegal settler outposts, and two organizations supporting violence against the Palestinian community,” he continued.

Lammy claimed that the Israeli government should step in and put an end to these violent actions. Their persistent inaction puts Palestinian communities and the two-state solution in jeopardy.