The Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Kingdom, David Lammy, announced on Tuesday the suspension of trade negotiations with Israel due to its “intolerable” offensive in the Gaza Strip. He directly blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for this decision.
“The actions of the Netanyahu government have made this necessary,” said the head of the diplomatic portfolio before the Parliament, from where he demanded that the Israeli Prime Minister immediately end the blockade and allow the entry of aid.
Lammy has described as “abominable” and “intolerable” the blockade that the Netanyahu government has imposed on the entry of humanitarian aid and has warned that “the threat of famine looms over the civilian population.”
“The humanitarian catastrophe is intensifying,” said the Foreign Minister. “Blocking aid, escalating the war, and disregarding the concerns of friends and partners is indefensible and must be put to an end,” he concluded, as reported by the BBC.
In this sense, it has been explained that negotiations with Israel on a new free trade agreement have been suspended and that they will review the rest of the cooperation treaties they maintain within the framework of the bilateral roadmap for 2030.
Furthermore, it has been reported that the Israeli ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she will be informed that the eleven-week blockade that has been ongoing in the Gaza Strip is “cruel” and “indefensible”.
“They are isolating Israel from its friends and partners around the world, undermining the interests of the Israeli people and damaging the image of the State of Israel in the eyes of the world,” said the British Foreign Minister.
SANCTIONS AGAINST SETTLERS FOR ATTACKS IN THE WEST BANK
On the other hand, the British government announced this Tuesday new economic and visa sanctions against several individuals, illegal Israeli settlements, and organizations that “support violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.”
Among those identified is Daniella Weiss, who the UK authorities define as a “prominent leader” who has been involved in cases of threats and attacks against Palestinian citizens. Additionally, two more individuals, two illegal settlements, and two organizations have been sanctioned.
All of them are added to another list made up of about twenty people and organizations also accused of committing “serious violence against the communities of the West Bank,” as highlighted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“I have seen with my own eyes the consequences of the violence of the settlers. The fear of their victims. The impunity of their perpetrators,” Lammy has denounced.
“The Israeli government has the responsibility to intervene and stop these aggressive actions. Their constant inaction endangers Palestinian communities and the two-state solution,” he said.
According to the United Nations, since January 2024, there has been a drastic increase in episodes of violence committed by settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, with up to 1,800 confirmed cases.