UK government expected to announce restrictions on trade with West Bank settlements

The UK government will introduce new restrictions on the purchase of products made in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the BBC understands.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to outline the measures in the House of Commons on Tuesday, which could include restrictions on trade in agricultural products from the settlements.

Last week, Miliband said he would unveil a “comprehensive reset” of the British government’s policy towards Israel.

The Israeli government has previously warned that it would retaliate if new measures were introduced.

The settlements are illegal under international law, and recent months have seen an increase in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank by settlers.

One minister told the BBC: “The declaration will be a complete reset of the nature of our relationship between Israel and Palestine. Everything will feel very different.”

“It’s not just about sanctions. We hope this finally achieves what those of us who have been working for two years in the Middle East have been working for.”

BBC News has not seen all the details of the measures.

But Labor MPs who have been briefed on the plans believe the sanctions will target trade with illegal settlements. They believe that means the sanctions would cover both goods and services.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed to Labor MPs at their weekly parliamentary meeting on Monday night that Miliband would make the statement, according to several MPs present.

The prime minister is also reported to have told the meeting that he had briefed international leaders about the plans through phone calls on Monday afternoon.

Burnham spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Monday, during which the prime minister emphasized the importance of a two-state solution in the Middle East.

An official account of the call published by No 10 did not specify that Burnham had informed Trump about the sanctions, while the United States, which is likely to strongly oppose the proposals, has not commented.

In July, Stephen Doughty – who was then Europe minister but has since been appointed Middle East minister – told the business select committee that existing powers to impose settlement restrictions did not go far enough.

He said: “At the moment we can sanction where there is evidence that it is related to settler violence, but not, for example, in relation to a contractor working in the settlements. We need to expand our sanctioning powers.”

While ministers are said to recognize that banning a relatively small number of mainly agricultural products is a largely symbolic gesture, the government is expected to frame this announcement as a major reset of Britain’s broader policy towards Israel.

The long-awaited announcement from the UK government comes after Israel opened tenders for the construction of about 1,200 homes in the area called E1 – a strategically important area east of Jerusalem. The plans have sparked widespread international condemnation.

Israel has put off plans to build in the area for decades under global pressure.