British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham introduced controversial sanctions against illegal Israeli West Bank settlements despite explicit warnings from the national security adviser and UK ambassador to delay until after Israeli elections in late October. The ministers ignored advice that early action could strengthen Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position and damaged already strained relations with a key intelligence ally, prompting a significant diplomatic row with Israel's government.

The sanctions, introduced in June 2025 and implemented jointly with France and Canada, include import bans from illegal settlements and restrictions on individuals and firms providing services to settlers. The measures target two Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians. Miliband acknowledged uncertainty about whether the sanctions would successfully slow settlement expansion, though he expressed frustration at the limits of British action and concern about the impact of military operations on Palestinian civilians since Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and has been followed by more than 70,000 reported Palestinian deaths.