Labour MP calls for UK ban on trade with illegal West Bank settlements

Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire Henry Tufnell has urged the UK government to impose a full ban on trade with ‘Israeli’ settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing them as illegal.

In a post shared on X, accompanied by a video statement, Tufnell argued that the government must act to end economic ties with these settlements.

Tufnell, elected in 2024, has previously questioned ministers on sanctions against settlers and restrictions on trade and investment linked to settlements.

His latest intervention comes amid growing pressure from within the Labour Party.

Around 140 Labour MPs wrote to the Foreign Secretary earlier this year calling for such a ban, citing ‘Israeli’ actions against Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Broader support among MPs has reached over 230, according to campaign groups.

The UK government maintains that ‘Israeli’ settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law.

Official guidance strongly advises British businesses against any economic or financial activity in them, including investments, purchases and services.

However, no comprehensive legal ban on trade has been introduced, despite similar measures adopted or planned by countries including Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Goods from settlements already do not qualify for preferential treatment under UK-‘Israel’ trade arrangements.

Settlements have expanded significantly since ‘Israel’ occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967.

International bodies, including successive UN Security Council resolutions and the International Court of Justice in its 2024 advisory opinion, have ruled that transferring an occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory violates the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The ICJ further stated that ‘Israel’s’ continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and called for an end to settlement activity and the evacuation of settlers.

Recent developments have intensified concerns.

‘Israel’s’ decision in August 2026 to issue tenders for more than 1,200 housing units in the sensitive E1 area east of Jerusalem drew sharp condemnation from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada.

Critics warn that the project would bisect the West Bank, isolate East Jerusalem and further undermine the territorial contiguity needed for a viable Palestinian state.

Settler-related violence has also risen, with reports of hundreds of incidents affecting Palestinian communities, injuries, displacements and restrictions on Palestinian economic activity.

Campaigners and human rights organisations argue that continued UK trade indirectly sustains the settlement enterprise, which fragments Palestinian land and erodes prospects for a two-state solution based on 1967 borders.

While the government has imposed targeted sanctions on certain individuals and networks linked to settler violence and strengthened business guidance, MPs such as Tufnell and Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry maintain that stronger measures, including a trade ban, are required to uphold international law and support Palestinian self-determination.

The Foreign Office has indicated that further responses to settlement expansion are under consideration.

Tufnell’s call reflects wider frustration among some Labour parliamentarians that existing steps have not sufficiently constrained settlement growth or protected Palestinian communities facing displacement and insecurity.