UK, allies impose sanctions on 2 Israeli ministers over West Bank violence

Five Western nations — the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway — have jointly imposed sanctions on two senior Israeli ministers, accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinians and promoting illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

The sanctions target Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both known for their far-right views and controversial statements regarding the Palestinian territories.

In a joint statement released Tuesday, the foreign ministries of the five countries condemned the ministers’ roles in escalating tensions in the West Bank, stating that their actions have encouraged violence and undermined the human rights of Palestinians.

“Both ministers have incited violence and supported policies that seriously violate the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank,” the statement said. “Their public endorsement of forced evictions and new settlement construction is unacceptable, dangerous, and a blatant disregard for international law.”

The statement further accused Smotrich and Ben-Gvir of playing key roles in Israeli government policies that have fueled displacement in Palestinian communities. It also highlighted concerns over the ministers’ efforts to shield violent settlers from legal accountability.

Calling on Israel to meet its international legal obligations, the five nations urged an immediate end to settler violence, extremism, and sectarian unrest in the West Bank.

Though the focus of the sanctions is the West Bank, the statement also addressed the worsening situation in Gaza. The ministers emphasized their concern over Israel’s prolonged military campaign in the region, ongoing for more than 18 months.

“We have not forgotten the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” the statement added. “Both ministers are directly implicated in the crisis. If Israel attempts to forcibly transfer Palestinians from Gaza to the West Bank as a means of facilitating a broader occupation, we will oppose it unequivocally.”

The coordinated sanctions mark a rare rebuke of Israeli domestic policy by close Western allies and signal growing international alarm over the conduct of Israel's far-right leadership.