A YouGov poll has found that a majority of the British public supports the UK government's decision to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, part of a wider package of measures announced by foreign secretary Ed Miliband. The move, framed by Labour as a tougher stance in support of Gaza, comes as international criticism mounts over Israel's plans to expand construction in the E1 corridor, which would cut off East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

The snap survey of 4,506 British adults found 52 per cent approved of the restrictions, against 17 per cent opposed and 31 per cent undecided. The sanctions block imports of settlement-produced goods, impose financial penalties on developers, and halt related arms export licences; Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended them in the Commons, saying Britain "has to stand for fairness against injustice". Reaction has been mixed: the Stop the War Coalition welcomed the step but called for a full arms embargo, while Israel branded the measures a "grave miscalculation", threatening retaliation including closing its British consulate in East Jerusalem and barring 12 UK MPs and activists, and Britain's chief rabbi dismissed the policy as "gesture politics".