Around 140 Labour MPs have urged the UK government to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, arguing that existing sanctions against individual settlers and Israeli ministers do not go far enough.
In a letter sent to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on 7 June, the MPs called for “urgent, concrete action to counter the escalation of violations against Palestinians” by “ending trade with illegal Israeli settlements”.
The group expressed concern over Israel’s plans regarding the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan Al-Ahmar, warning that the proposed displacement of residents forms part of a wider pattern of settlement expansion and annexation across the occupied territories.
The MPs said the planned demolition of the community and destruction of its property “would constitute the war crime of forcible transfer”.
They argued that Khan Al-Ahmar has faced “a gruelling struggle against erasure, displacement and state-backed settler violence” linked to Israel’s E1 settlement project, which they claim seeks “to bisect the West Bank” and make a future two-state solution “an impossibility”.
The letter highlights what MPs describe as a sharp increase in settlement activity across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, citing reports that 34 new settlements were approved in April 2026 alone.
The MPs also pointed to warnings from the United Nations that settlement expansion and annexation are contributing to mass displacement, while “settler violence… is also out of control”.
While welcoming recent UK sanctions imposed on Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the MPs said further action is required.
“Those sanctions are not enough,” the letter states.
“Individual settlers and even individual ministers are only implementing what the Israeli government is supporting.”
“Settlements — and all the violations which come with them — are sanctioned, incentivised and financially enabled by the Israeli government.”
The MPs criticised the government for failing to take additional measures after previously pledging to challenge settlement expansion and policies linked to annexation and forced displacement.
“Since then, the situation has worsened considerably and the government has taken no further action. This is unacceptable,” they wrote.
The letter argues that international law supports a ban on settlement trade, citing guidance from the International Court of Justice that states should avoid “trade dealings with Israel concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
The MPs also pointed to Britain’s approach towards occupied Ukrainian territories, arguing that similar principles should apply to Israeli settlements.
They noted that several European countries are already pursuing restrictions on trade with settlements. Spain has begun implementing a ban, while Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands are considering similar measures.
“The UK need not wait for a common EU position,” the letter states, adding that Britain can act independently “as it has done with other illegally occupied lands”.
The appeal comes amid ongoing tensions in the occupied West Bank, where reports of settler violence and clashes have continued to draw international attention.
Concluding their letter, the MPs warned that “there is an urgent need for accountability and concrete consequences” in response to what they described as escalating violations that are “spiralling by the day”.