In a move that underscores growing international pressure on Israel’s settlement policies, the United Kingdom announced the first-ever sanctions on entities and an individual accused of financing and enabling violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The UK’s Foreign Office said “six entities” and one person would face asset freezes, travel bans and, where appropriate, director disqualifications. These include a financial association that supports settler farms and a construction company that has helped destroy Palestinian land and property.
The sanctions are part of a broader effort by the UK, Australia, Canada, France and Norway to "hold extremist settlers accountable for the horrific levels of settler violence," the five countries’ joint statement noted. France additionally barred Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, citing his role in promoting annexation, settlement expansion, re‑colonisation of Gaza and the economic collapse of the Palestinian Authority.
Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the measures as "political acts camouflaged as measures against violence" that, according to officials, serve to impose a political stance on the Jewish right to settle in the Land of Israel. The ministry warned that such "anti‑Israeli policies" fuel antisemitism in the sanctioning countries.
The backdrop of the sanctions is a steep rise in settler attacks. United Nations data shows 1,835 assaults by settlers on Palestinian families in 2025, resulting in 7 deaths and 832 injuries – a 130 % increase over the previous year. Settlement activity has intensified under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition, with over 100 new settlements approved in 2025, many of which were pre‑existing outposts granted legal status.
“For too long, violent settlers have acted with impunity, often under the protection of Israel’s security forces,” the joint statement said. It called on the Israeli government to ensure meaningful accountability for violence in the West Bank.
The Palestinian foreign ministry welcomed the statement, arguing it rejects the occupation’s annexation plans and supports the right of Palestinians to a future state. Meanwhile, the sanctioning countries have already imposed similar measures on other political figures, including a joint order on Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir and far‑right Israeli official Bezalel Smotrich.
The sanctions also mark a new era of policy guidance. The UK will explicitly advise businesses against economic activity in illegal settlements, a first for an official government order. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that "violent settler groups should not profit from land stolen from Palestinians," and called for greater accountability.
While the move is hailed by some as a decisive stance against settler violence, critics view it as politically motivated. Regardless, the sanctions signify a growing coalition of nations willing to confront the complex dynamics of the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict and to hold accountable those who facilitate it.
