See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 10:22 BST, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 10:38 BST, 8 June 2026
More than a third of all Labour MPs, including would-be leader Wes Streeting, have demanded Britain brings in a complete trade ban on illegal Israeli settlements amid a surge in violence and land grabs from Palestinians.One hundred and forty backbenchers have signed a letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper demanding tougher sanctions after attacks and theft of land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.Last week Israel's hardline finance minister announced a major expansion of three Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Bezalel Smotrich, who holds authority over parts of Israel's civilian administration in the West Bank, said a planning committee approved the construction of 2,162 new Jewish homes near Jerusalem, Nablus and Hebron.The letter has been organised by Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy MP Melanie Ward, with signatories including every Labour select committee chairman and woman. It calls on the UK to go beyond bans on individual Israelis and ban trade in goods and services linked to any illegal settlements, saying the current level of action was 'unacceptable'. Ms Ward said: 'It's time to be clear that settlements have no viable economic future.'We are deeply concerned at the vast rise in violent Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians, and at settlement expansion, which forces Palestinians off their land. One hundred and forty backbenchers have signed a letter demanding tougher sanctions after Israeli attacks and thefts of land in the occupied West Bank (pictured) and East Jerusalem The letter has been organised by Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy MP Melanie Ward, with signatories including every Labour select committee chairman and woman. Bezalel Smotrich said a planning committee approved the construction of 2,162 new Jewish homes near Jerusalem, Nablus and Hebron'The Israeli government itself is clear this is designed to prevent a two-state solution ever being realised.' Mr Streeting, the former health secretary, has also backed it, days after he used a podcast interview to accuse Sir Keir Starmer of ignoring Israeli war crimes in Gaza for 'political purposes'.Seven Western nations, including France, Britain, Australia and Canada, accused the Israeli government of aggravating tensions in the West Bank last month.A key concern is Israel's plan to build a settlement east of Jerusalem, known as the E1 project, which would bisect the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, fragmenting territory Palestinians seek for an independent state.Most nations consider Israeli settlements there to be illegal under international law and a major obstacle to a two-state solution for long-term peace.Other signatories of the letter include former ministers Rushanara Ali, Anneliese Dodds and Rosena Allin-Khan, and senior MPs including committee chairs Sarah Champion, Ruth Cadbury, Tan Dhesi and Tonia Antoniazzi.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government has overseen the significant expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the establishment of new settlements. Mr Streeting, the former health secretary, has also backed it, days after he used a podcast interview to accuse Sir Keir Starmer of ignoring Israeli war crimes in Gaza for 'political purposes'.'We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice,' said Smotrich, an ultranationalist sanctioned by Britain, France and others who accuse him of inciting violence against Palestinians.Smotrich has denounced the sanctions against him, saying the measures would not change Israeli policy.The new homes would 'strengthen our hold on the land, reinforce Israel's security, and establish clear facts on the ground that prevent the creation of an Arab terror state in the heart of the country,' Smotrich said in a statement, without specifying when construction would begin.Since becoming a minister three years ago, Smotrich has sought to tighten Israel's control and presence in the West Bank while advocating against the idea of a Palestinian state.
