London, 5th June 2026 – ICJP have issued Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle with a letter raising concerns over the UK’s obligations under international law and calling for an immediate ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
Despite the Advisory Opinion (AO) issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 19th July 2024, which determined Israel’s ongoing occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, to be unlawful and confirmed legal responsibilities on all third states “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence” in the oPt, the UK is yet to take sufficient steps in line with their international legal obligations.
While the UK government rightly recognises that settlements in the oPt are illegal under international law, goods produced in illegal settlements are still allowed into the UK. Allowing the entry and sale of these goods contributes to fostering economic ties that sustain Israel’s settlement economy, entrench the forcible transfer of Palestinians from their homes and land, pillage of natural resources, and illegal appropriation of Palestinian property and further Israel’s settlement regime which is entangled in discriminatory policies that violate a wide range of Palestinians’ human rights and undermine the viability of a contiguous future Palestinian state.
The UK’s continued failure to end all imports from Israel’s illegal settlements ensures support for a settlement economy built on dispossession and displacement. As settlement construction accelerates, violent settler attacks increase, and Israel advances major land seizures in the occupied West Bank, including through the egregious E1 project.
Settlement goods entering the UK market helps to sustain an unlawful occupation and undermines the UK’s international legal responsibilities. Continued inaction leaves the UK complicit in the maintenance of a system that violates international law and Palestinian rights.
The onus is now on this government to enact immediate and weighty measures to ensure that the UK’s trade policies are aligned with international law.
Órlaith Roe, ICJP’s Public Affairs and Communications Officer, said:
“Every single settlement good traded helps entrench an unlawful occupation and legitimise violations of international law. Against that backdrop, it is astounding that the UK government appears willing to ignore its clear legal obligations when it comes to Palestine.
The ICJ’s 2024 Advisory Opinion leaves no room for doubt: the UK is failing to meet its legal obligations and uphold Palestinian rights. The question is no longer whether action is required, but why ministers continue to delay a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].
Image: Mauriziotani via Wikimedia Commons
