UK to impose trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in West Bank
UK to announce sanctions on Israeli settlements after US ambassador visit highlights settler violence.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, visited the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya, where most residents are Palestinian Americans, to hear their complaints about attacks from Jewish settlers. He called violent settlers terrorists but refused to use the term "West Bank", preferring the biblical names "Judea and Samaria". Residents told him they had lost land, homes and family members. One resident, Abu Awad, said America was the only country that could pressure Israel, but added: "You don't put pressure on your small child." When asked if he thought Huckabee would help him get his house back, he said: "I don't think so."
The visit came as settler violence across the occupied West Bank is rising. The UN says injuries from settler attacks have reached an average of three a day this year. In the village of Al-Mughayyir, two teenagers were shot dead during a confrontation involving settlers and Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military said it fired in response to a violent riot. The village has held six funerals this year for men and boys killed by Israeli forces or settlers.
In a separate development, the UK government is set to announce trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will tell MPs that the government is banning goods from settlements, as part of a "comprehensive reset" of the UK's relationship with Israel. The move is a response to the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law, and the rise in settler violence. Israel has threatened retaliation, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar saying: "If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain." The US administration is also expected to be critical.
The sanctions are seen as an attempt to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution, which many say is being undermined by settlement expansion and violence.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  | BBC Verified Live |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 7 channels | |||||||
| The UK government is expected to announce a ban on goods from Israeli settlements, including agricultural products and some services. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Reported by ITV | ||||
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | |||||||
| At least 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank this year, compared with three Israelis killed by Palestinians. | Not reported by BBC Two | BBC Verified LiveReported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| Huckabee said the problem is a tiny minority of settlers, not settlement policy. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| Palestinian officials reported two teenagers shot dead in a West Bank confrontation, while the Israeli army said its forces opened fire during a violent riot. | Not reported by BBC Two | BBC Verified LiveReported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| Huckabee described violent settlers as terrorists. | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Mike Huckabee used biblical terms instead of the term West Bank for the occupied territory. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Residents said settlers arrived during the ambassador's visit and were intimidating people. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The ban is part of a comprehensive reset of UK-Israel relations. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The E1 settlement was cited as a key reason for the sanctions. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | ||
| The previous Starmer government recognised the state of Palestine and sanctioned Israeli government members. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The UN reported that injuries from settler attacks have risen to an average of three a day this year. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Only on one channel | |||||||
| A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed while filming settlers. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| At least 81 Palestinians were reported killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank this year. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Ben Gvir called for Israel to recognise Argentine sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Injuries directly caused by Israeli settlers were reported to occur more than three times per day this year. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Israel arrested five people for violence in the West Bank, including settler attacks. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Israel's foreign minister threatened retaliation. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Israeli ministers threatened to expel the UK ambassador. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Labour MPs believed the move would not have happened under Keir Starmer. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| More than 60 incidents of settler violence were reported in the past week. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Most residents of Tumras Aya are American citizens. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Settler violence in the West Bank has increased to record levels, with over 60 incidents reported in one week. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Settler violence in the West Bank is set to reach record levels this year. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Settler violence was reported to be increasingly targeting children. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The ban was reported to be a response to settler violence and settlement expansion. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The E1 settlement, involving around 1,200 houses, is a particular concern because it undermines the contiguity of the West Bank. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The frequency of injuries directly caused by settlers has increased dramatically since 2020. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | BBC Verified LiveReported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The government currently lacks powers to sanction contractors working on settlements. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The government regards the sanctions as a process, not a one-off event. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The move was described as the government's biggest foreign policy announcement since Sir Keir Starmer became prime minister. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The move was reported to be driven by the aim of preserving the two-state solution. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The prime minister has not spoken to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu since becoming prime minister. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The shadow home secretary opposed the sanctions. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The Trump administration is expected to attack the decision. | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The village of al-Mughayyir has held six funerals this year for men and boys killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Very few settlers are ever prosecuted for attacks on Palestinians. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by BBC Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Focused on the broader pattern of settler violence, with detailed incidents and a warning that attacks are reaching record levels. Did not mention the ambassador visit directly.
- “Violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank is set to reach record levels this year”
- “We've counted more than 60 incidents here just in the past week”
Same report as the first BBC News segment, focusing on settler violence, but also included unrelated news about Norway's king. No mention of the ambassador visit.
- “Violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank is set to reach record levels this year”
- “We've counted more than 60 incidents here just in the past week”
Covered the shooting of two teenagers and the rare criticism from Israeli leaders and the US ambassador. Highlighted the frequency of settler attacks and the lack of accountability.
- “so did the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee”
- “This year alone, it's more than three every day”
Focused on the impact of settler violence on the village of Al-Mughayyir, with funerals and daily attacks. Did not mention the ambassador visit.
- “The killing of our young men has become a regular ritual”
- “This village has held six funerals this year”
Dedicated to the ambassador's visit, his comments, and residents' skepticism. Highlighted Huckabee's refusal to call it the West Bank and his 'pharmacist' analogy.
- “America's ambassador said he came to Tumras Aya to listen. But residents want him to act.”
- “I'm the pharmacist, not the chemist.”
Focused on the ambassador's terminology and the residents' fear. Emphasized the contrast between Huckabee's biblical language and the reality of settler intimidation.
- “You've called it Judea Samaria. Yes. That is not what the rest of the world calls it.”
- “Do you feel any safer today than you did yesterday? No...”
Covered the ambassador visit and then provided analysis from a former US envoy on settlement expansion. Emphasized the broader context of settlement growth.
- “America's ambassador said he came to Turmus Ayya to listen”
- “I'm the pharmacist, not the chemist.”
Same report as the main Sky News segment, but presented in a morning show context. Focused on the ambassador's visit and the residents' fear.
- “You've called it Judea Samaria. Yes. That is not what the rest of the world calls it.”
- “Do you feel any safer today than you did yesterday? No...”
Focused on the impact of settler violence on children and the UK government's response. Announced the upcoming ban on goods from settlements.
- “The government will tomorrow announce a ban on goods made in Jewish settlements”
- “Children are being targeted, too”
Focused on the political implications of the UK sanctions, including Labour party dynamics and the prime minister's announcement. Emphasized the internal party angle.
- “He announced that tomorrow is the day that Ed Miliband is going to announce this big comprehensive reset”
- “The Israelis will be furious.”
Focused on the details of the sanctions and the political debate, including concerns about a wider boycott and the impact on the Jewish community.
- “the government is planning to introduce sanctions on Israeli settlements”
- “any settlement boycott must not become a wider boycott of all of Israel”
Focused on the UK sanctions and the Israeli reaction, including a statement from Itamar Ben-Gvir about the Falklands. Also covered newspaper front pages.
- “Andy Burnham is set to announce fast track sanctions against Israel tomorrow”
- “It's times that the state of Israel should publicly recognise the Malvinas Islands are Argentine territory under occupation”
Focused on the sanctions announcement and its implications, including concerns about a wider boycott and the diplomatic fallout with the US and Israel.
- “The government's expected to announce sanctions over Israeli settlements in the West Bank later.”
- “There are concerns that this ban on settlements could morph into a wider boycott of Israel.”
Focused on the sanctions and the diplomatic fallout, including threats from Israeli ministers and the US response. Emphasized the difficulty of distinguishing settlement goods from Israeli goods.
- “What we're expecting today is an announcement in the House of Commons of a trade ban on items coming from Israeli settlements”
- “Already ministers, including far-right ones, are saying that the ambassador should be expelled.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.