The UK government has for the first time issued official guidance advising British businesses against economic and financial activity in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, alongside a new package of sanctions targeting organisations and individuals accused of supporting settler violence in the West Bank.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the measures in a statement to Parliament on 9 June, describing settlement expansion and settler violence as threats to the viability of a two-state solution. The updated guidance states that while the UK continues to support trade with Israel within its internationally recognised borders, businesses should avoid economic involvement in settlements that the government considers illegal under international law.
