More than 130 legal experts, including 18 king’s counsel, have criticized the United Kingdom’s recent sanctions on Israeli settlements, arguing they do not fully meet Britain’s obligations under international law. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, prominent lawyers including Michael Mansfield KC, Imran Khan KC, and former Lord Justice of Appeal Alan Moses contend that the measures fall short of the standards set by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The UK government, led by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, announced last week a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, alongside other targeted actions. These measures followed a 2024 ICJ advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation unlawful and calling on Israel to end it “as rapidly as possible.” The court also stated that other states must refrain from recognizing or assisting the occupation.
Legal experts argue in their letter that while the UK sanctions represent a “necessary corrective,” they are “improperly narrow” when compared to comprehensive sanctions applied by the UK and its allies against Russia over its actions in Ukraine. The experts urge the government to implement broader measures that would not only limit trade with illegal settlements but also target economic activities supporting the occupation itself. They call for stronger coercive action to address ongoing violations of international law linked to Israel’s presence in the West Bank.
Among the additional recommendations are a full arms embargo on Israel, citing Article 6(3) of the Arms Trade Treaty. Miliband has accused Israel of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, a claim supported by signatories who highlight the treaty’s prohibition on arms transfers where there is knowledge of such crimes. The sanctions follow increased violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities and a recent Israeli government tender for 1,200 new housing units in the E1 settlement east of Jerusalem, a development potentially jeopardizing the territorial continuity necessary for a viable Palestinian state.
The letter also calls for expanding sanctions to include sectors such as insurance, accountancy, and digital infrastructure, and for transparency concerning UK public bodies and pension funds that may hold investments connected to the settlements.
Ralph Wilde, professor of international law at University College London and one of the letter’s drafters, welcomed the UK’s formal recognition of the occupation’s illegality as a significant shift. However, he criticized the UK’s focus on settlements alone, emphasizing that the occupation itself constitutes the core legal issue. “If the problem is with the settlements themselves, then the problem is with the state that establishes them,” Wilde said.
A government spokesperson defended the sanctions as the most significant update to the UK’s approach toward supporting a two-state solution in decades, underscoring a commitment to international law and global accountability.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the UK’s actions and statements, accusing Miliband of “outrageous lies” and alleging that the British government is working systematically against Israel.