UK considers sanctions on two Israeli ministers, calls UN Security Council meeting

PM Starmer says looking at sanctioning Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir

Britain and France have called an urgent meeting at the United Nations Security Council to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Britain is considering sanctioning two Israeli ministers, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday.

Reuters reported earlier this month that food supplies to Gaza had fallen sharply in recent weeks after Israeli authorities introduced a new customs rule, and the United States said the humanitarian situation must improve or Israel could face potential restrictions on US military aid.

“We are constantly making representations on this with our partners,” Starmer told parliament, when asked about the situation. “There is an urgent need, and has been now for a very long time, for more aid to get into Gaza.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement Israel must ensure civilians were protected and routes were open to allow life-saving aid through, and that the United Nations meeting would address these issues. He said Algeria had also joined the call for the urgent meeting.

Starmer also said that Britain was looking at sanctioning Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over comments they had made about the conflict.

Previous foreign secretary David Cameron was also reportedly looking at sanctioning the pair before the then-governing Conservative Party lost an election in June.

Asked if his government would sanction Smotrich over comments that starving civilians in Gaza might be justified and Ben-Gvir for saying perpetrators of settler violence in the West Bank were heroes, Starmer said: “We are looking at that because they’re obviously abhorrent comments”.

“Israel must take all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties, to allow aid into Gaza in much greater volumes and provide the UN humanitarian partners the ability to operate effectively,” Starmer said.
“Along with France, the UK will convene an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to address this.”