The UK is considering sanctioning two Israeli ministers, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed on Wednesday as pressure mounts on the Tel Aviv government over its actions in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon.
Former foreign secretary Lord David Cameron revealed on Tuesday that he had been working on a plan to sanction finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over their support for blocking aid from entering the Gaza Strip and expanding illegal settlements both there and in the West Bank.
Asked during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday whether he would sanction the two men, Sir Keir said: “We are looking at that.”
He said the pair had made “abhorrent” comments about the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, adding: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire.
“The death toll has passed 42,000 and access to basic services is becoming much harder.
“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.”
Meanwhile, the UK called an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council amid reports of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in northern Gaza.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Britain, along with France and Algeria, requested the meeting given the “dire” humanitarian situation in northern Gaza, adding that access to basic services is “worsening” and the UN has reported “barely any food has entered in the last two weeks”.
He said: “Israel must ensure civilians are protected and ensure routes are open to allow life-saving aid through.”
Speaking at the UN meeting in New York, the UK’s representative Dame Barbara Woodward described the situation in northern Gaza in particular as “harrowing” and added that the “devastating conflict” needed to be brought to an immediate end.
On humanitarian aid, she said: “We expect October to see the least aid enter Gaza since the beginning of the conflict, lower even than September. Families in Gaza are facing a second winter with even less resilience and fewer resources.
“This is unconscionable. Israel must comply fully with international humanitarian law and ensure sufficient aid reaches all parts of Gaza.”
The Security Council meeting comes after the United States warned Tel Aviv that more humanitarian aid must enter Gaza in the next 30 days or Israel could lose access to American military financing.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the level of aid must increase to 350 trucks a day and Israel must institute additional humanitarian pauses and security for humanitarian sites in order to continue to qualify for military funding.
UN officials said last week that just 80 aid trucks had entered northern Gaza since the start of October, compared with 60 trucks a day previously.
On Wednesday, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said he had seen “many tonnes” of aid being “denied entry into Gaza by Israel” on a visit to the border between Egypt and Gaza.
Announcing a £1 million package to help Egypt’s health ministry support Palestinians evacuated across the border, Mr Falconer said: “As winter approaches, Israel can and must do more to ensure aid flows freely into Gaza and to facilitate the UN and humanitarian agencies to carry out their work safely.”
The UK has not so far explicitly linked improved access for humanitarian aid with arms exports to Israel, many of which were suspended in September.
A poll published on Wednesday by Ipsos found 46% of British people would back the suspension of all arms exports to Israel.
The poll, which surveyed 2,313 people between October 4 and 7, also found 54% of people thought the UK should act as a neutral mediator between Israel and Iran, compared to 12% who thought the UK should support Israel. Some 4% told Ipsos they thought the UK should back Iran.