Over 40 MPs from seven parties call for UK government to impose Israeli sanctions

Over 40 MPs from seven parties are backing a motion calling on the UK government to impose sanctions on Israel over its war on Gaza.

The motion, put forward by independent MP Richard Burgon, welcomed the UN General Assembly's decision demanding Israel to end its unlawful occupation of Palestine, with the UK being among the 43 member states that abstained.

The UN resolution also called on states to comply with their obligation under international law to take steps to address Israel's occupation.

The motion called on the UK government to support the resolution and the International Court of Justice's advice that Israel's occupation violates international law.

This includes banning importing goods from Israeli settlements, ending all military exports to Israel and revoking the 2030 Roadmap "which deepens UK economic, trade and security ties with Israel".

Several independent politicians and members of parties, including Labour, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, and the Scottish National Party, have signed the motion.

"Israel is carrying out war crimes," Burgon wrote on X. "We need real action from Governments to force it to stop."

Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 42,344 Palestinians since last year, and despite suspending 30 arms export licenses to Israel, 320 remain.

During his time as foreign secretary, David Cameron persisted that the UK would not stop weapons to Israel despite its war.

Most recently, speaking to BBC's Today programme, the former secretary said he had been "working up" plans to sanction Israeli ministers: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

"When ministers in your government who are extremists and behave in this way we are prepared to use our sanctions regime to say this is simply not good enough and simply has to stop," Cameron told BBC Today programme.

The former secretary said he was concerned that the current Labour Government had not adopted the measure.

Cameron noted the two-minister encouraging pro-Israelis to stop aid from getting into Gaza and encouraging settler attacks in the West Bank – comments that the current foreign secretary David Lammy found "entirely unacceptable".

When asked why he did not proceed with the sanctions, the former minister said he was advised that it would have been "too much of a political act" during the General Elections.

The former prime minister also critiqued the UK's partial suspension as a mistake, saying that it made no sense when Israel needed to defend itself against Iran.