UK ends trade talks with Israel, sanctions West Bank entities

The United Kingdom on Tuesday cut off negotiations for a new free trade agreement with Israel due to Israel’s 11-week blockade of humanitarian aid in Gaza, as well as the country’s extensive new military operations there. The United Kingdom would also review its involvement in a bilateral agreement for future cooperation, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. The Israel Defense Forces over the weekend launched the Gideon’s Chariots operation. Its spokesman said Tuesday that the military had struck more than 800 terrorist targets in recent days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ordered the resumption of a basic quantity of humanitarian aid into the enclave, according to The Times of Israel. Lammy said Israel must allow the United Nations to administer aid at scale and must pull back military operations.

The British minister for the Middle East had summoned Israel’s ambassador to his office to discuss the situation, Lammy said. The secretary also said the U.K. was sanctioning three individuals and four entities which he said promoted violence in the West Bank. They are now subject to financial restrictions and travel bans among other constraints, according to a government release.

How did Israel respond to Lammy’s announcement? The free trade agreement had already stalled before the U.K. ended it, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said. The sanctions on West Bank entities were unjustified, the ministry said.

What else did the U.K. government say about the Israel-Hamas war on Tuesday? Before Lammy’s announcement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a joint statement with the leaders of Canada and France called on Israel to end military operations in Gaza and allow full inflow of aid. The leaders said they were committed to a two-state solution and would take concrete actions against Israel if it continued its operations in the enclave.

How did Israel respond to the joint statement? Netanyahu said his country was waging a defensive war and would abide by an American-led plan for a ceasefire. The war can end as soon as Hamas releases the hostages, disbands, and demilitarizes Gaza, he said. Netanyahu also praised Bezalel Smotrich, his minister of finance, for saying Israel would never accept a two-state solution. Smotrich said such a plan would establish a neighboring terrorist state. 

How did Hamas respond to the joint statement? The terrorist group said the statement was a step in the right direction, according to the Hamas-aligned Palestinian Information Center. The leaders of the U.K., Canada, and France were taking a principled stand against genocide, starvation, and forced displacement, Hamas said.