UK sanctions Israeli settlers, introduces trade sanctions regime against settlers; UK, Canada, France, and other European countries to impose trade ban

8 September 2026

The UK’s Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, made a statement in Parliament setting out new UK sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and on Iran and Hizballah. The UK:

• Added 5 Israeli settlers in the West Bank to its sanctions list under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020. They are Ben-Zon Gopstein, Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Eliav Libi, Baruch Marzel, and Avichai Suissa.

• Added Hizballah’s financing arm, Al-Qard Al-Hasan, to its Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

• Will amend the Global Human Rights regulations to enable “swifter action” to deter settlement expansion, including the development of the E1 corridor.

• Will introduce a new sanctions regime against Israeli settlers. This will include an import ban on goods from settlements within the occupied territories and bans on providing services including financing services to Israeli settlers. The legislation required to introduce the new regime will be in place in 6 to 9 months, but the UK will also take more immediate steps.

• Will refuse all arms licences and other exports that “materially contribute” to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. The UK has already suspended 30 arms licences used by the IDF in Gaza.

• Will reimpose economic sanctions on Iran in line with the EU and US.

The UK also issued a joint statement with Canada, France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. This statement says that:

• Canada and France will, along with the UK, also introduce trade bans on goods coming from Israeli settlements, in line with bans already implemented by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium.

• Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden support further action.

France’s Foreign Minister confirmed on X that it will end trade with settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

See our West Bank and UK human rights pages for more information on sanctions on Israeli settlers and the designation criteria under the human rights sanctions regime.