UK foreign secretary condemns Israeli actions in Gaza and West Bank

Monday 28 September 2026 - 23:30

By: Azzat Manal

UK foreign secretary condemns Israeli actions in Gaza and West Bank

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has delivered one of the strongest recent criticisms from the UK government of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank, describing the situation as a “stain on the conscience of the world” during the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool on September 28.

Addressing party members, Miliband said Israel’s security concerns could not justify what he described as unacceptable actions by the Israeli government. He also addressed people in Britain and elsewhere who have expressed anger over the suffering of Palestinians, saying that their concerns had been heard and that the government had changed its approach.

The foreign secretary said the UK would take a more active position on developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, including by opposing settlement expansion and supporting measures aimed at protecting the possibility of a two-state solution. His comments build on a series of policy measures announced by the British government earlier this month.

Among the measures announced by London is a planned ban on imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The government has also said it intends to target companies and individuals involved in financing, construction, infrastructure and other activities connected with settlement expansion.

Miliband stressed that the British government’s position was directed at the policies and actions of the Israeli government rather than at Israeli citizens. London has maintained that its measures concerning settlements are distinct from its wider economic relationship with Israel and that legitimate trade with businesses inside Israel should continue.

The British government has also formally described the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory as unlawful, following the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. London has linked its policy shift to its stated objective of preserving the possibility of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The issue of Israeli settlements has become an increasingly prominent part of Britain’s diplomatic policy. On September 8, the UK joined Canada, France and other countries in a joint statement warning that settlement expansion and settler violence were undermining the prospects for a two-state solution. The group also announced or considered restrictions on trade in settlement goods.

Britain has simultaneously reiterated its condemnation of the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and its recognition of Israel’s security concerns. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said at the United Nations earlier this month that these security concerns did not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, while reaffirming support for a two-state solution.

Miliband has also spoken about the humanitarian situation affecting Palestinians. During a September 24 address to the international alliance supporting implementation of the two-state solution, he said he was deeply concerned by the suffering of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank while reiterating his condemnation of the October 7 attacks.

The latest remarks come amid growing European diplomatic pressure over settlement expansion, violence in the West Bank and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Britain has said that its measures are intended to support international law and preserve the conditions needed for a negotiated political settlement.

Miliband’s comments at the Labour conference therefore underline a broader shift in the UK’s stated policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, combining criticism of Israeli government actions with continued support for Israel’s security and a two-state framework. The practical impact of the new measures will depend on their implementation and on how Britain coordinates its approach with European and international partners.