Foreign Ministry Welcomes UK Ban on Israeli Settlement Goods

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the British government’s decision to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements and restrict some services linked to settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, the ministry described the move as an important step in support of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions. It said the decision could help confront settlement expansion and attempts to impose new realities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The ministry added that continued settlement growth undermines the territorial unity of the Palestinian territories and threatens the prospects of establishing an independent and viable Palestinian state.

It also welcomed a joint statement by the foreign ministers of 12 countries supporting the two-state solution and measures to restrict trade with illegal settlements. The statement called for an immediate halt to settlement expansion and accountability for violence committed by Israeli settlers, while urging other countries to adopt similar measures.

Britain said the new measures will include a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements, alongside restrictions targeting companies and individuals involved in settlement construction, infrastructure, financing and related services.

The decision comes amid heightened tensions between London and Israel following Israel’s announcement that it plans to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem.

The ministry reiterated its support for establishing an independent Palestinian state along the June 4th, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.