Israel's ties with many Western allies were already fraught over its conduct in the Gaza war, but the worsening situation in the occupied West Bank has seen relations nosedive before close-fought October elections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government is pushing ahead with the expansion of Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law, while daily reports of settler attacks against Palestinians provoke international outrage.
While many observers expect caution from Western states in their responses before the elections, Britain's foreign secretary on Tuesday vowed a major policy reset towards Israel's West Bank construction and promised a "comprehensive set of measures" within weeks.
France's foreign minister also urged the European Union to ban trade with settlements, calling surging West Bank violence "an unacceptable affront to the dignity of the Palestinian people".
A Tel Aviv-based European diplomat told AFP that the idea of taking measures against Israel once seemed "completely unthinkable".
