The United Kingdom is set to announce a formal trade ban on goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank later on Tuesday, 8th of September, 2026; a senior minister confirmed, as part of London’s push to preserve the viability of a two-state solution.
The move was confirmed by pensions minister Pat McFadden, who said Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband would make a statement to Parliament outlining the new trading restrictions.
Miliband, who took up his post six weeks ago, had flagged last week that he was reviewing Britain’s overall policy toward Israel.
Miliband has pointed to Israel’s E1 settlement project as a particular concern, warning it would cut across land Palestinians seek for a future state and put the two-state solution at risk.
McFadden told Times Radio that the urgency behind the decision stemmed from expanded settlement activity in recent weeks and months, though he declined to give operational details on how the ban would be enforced.
The announcement follows growing pressure from British lawmakers, and comes amid Britain’s broader recalibration of ties with Israel over the conflict and settlement expansion.
Underlining the diplomatic stakes, Britain’s new prime minister spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday to stress the importance of the two-state solution, a call widely seen as related to the upcoming measures.
The United Nations and most governments, including Britain, regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law and consider the territory to be under Israeli military occupation, while Israel maintains the West Bank’s status is disputed rather than occupied and cites a historical claim to the land.
Israeli officials had not responded publicly to the announcement at the time of writing.
