75 British parliamentarians call for stronger sanctions against Israel — The National
In the United Kingdom, 75 members of parliament and members of the House of Lords have called on the government to expand sanctions against Israel to cover individuals and groups that obstruct the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. In a letter to Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, the politicians said additional restrictive measures were needed amid the worsening humanitarian situation and delays in aid deliveries, The National reports.
Call for swift sanctions
The letter was prepared by Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael. The signatories include Labour MPs Rushanara Ali and Abtisam Mohamed, as well as Liberal Democrat representative Layla Moran.
The authors of the appeal called for the first sanctions designations to be made before winter and for cases involving obstruction of aid deliveries to Gaza to be treated as a priority. They also proposed imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers and officials who, according to the parliamentarians, designed, promoted or implemented measures restricting the entry into Gaza of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and other humanitarian organisations.
In September, the United Kingdom announced a new sanctions regime targeting companies trading in goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as well as violent settlers. Designations under this regime are expected to take effect within six months.
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Aid to Gaza and budget cuts
The letter’s signatories also called on London to follow EU sanctions against groups blocking humanitarian shipments. This includes Tzav 9, which the European Union sanctioned in July 2024 for blocking aid trucks bound for Gaza. The politicians are asking the government to announce additional funding for food, water and temporary shelter for Gaza residents before winter.
In October, the United Kingdom introduced the Global Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Sanctions Regulations 2026, which expand the existing sanctions mechanism. According to Miliband, this enables the government to add individuals and organisations to sanctions lists more quickly on human rights-related grounds.
Last week, the UN World Food Programme reported cuts to aid deliveries to Gaza due to a lack of funding. The number of people assisted by the agency is set to fall from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, while the number of daily portions at community kitchens will decrease from 250,000 to 150,000.
At the same time, the British charity network Bond said that the United Kingdom may fail to meet its target of spending 0.3% of gross national income on international aid in 2027. It estimates the shortfall at £320 million.
