British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday the government was weighing up sanctions against far-right Zionist ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Asked in parliament if the government would sanction the pair, Starmer said: “We are looking at that because there are obviously abhorrent comments along with other really concerning activity in the West Bank.”
National Security Minister Ben Gvir, and Smotrich who is Finance Minister, are vocal supporters of settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
Smotrich has also triggered an international uproar by suggesting it would be justified to starve two million Gazans to free Zionist captives in the Palestinian territory.
Earlier this week, former foreign secretary David Cameron revealed that the previous Conservative government had been “working on” sanctions against the “extreme” politicians.
Starmer’s Labour government announced separate sanctions against seven Zionist settler outposts and organizations on Tuesday.
Pointing to the “dire” humanitarian situation in Gaza, Starmer also called for the Zionist entity to “take all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties, to allow aid into Gaza in much greater volume”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy meanwhile announced that the UK, France, and Algeria had called an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council following UN reports that “barely any food has entered” North Gaza in the last two weeks.
