Key Developments
On 8 September 2026, HM Government said it would advance powers to bar imports from Israeli settlements and sanction actors linked to settlement activity in the West Bank. The same day, Global Affairs Canada said 12 foreign ministers supported national trade restrictions to defend a two-state solution.
Key Statistics
- 104 new settlements had been approved, according to HM Government.
- 16 Palestinians had been killed by settlers, according to HM Government.
- 1,400 settler-related violence incidents had been recorded, according to HM Government.
- Historical: 1.9 million people were displaced in Gaza, according to HM Government.
Main Body
On 8 September 2026, HM Government announced planned powers to ban imports from Israeli settlements it considered illegal and to sanction individuals and companies involved in settlement activity in the West Bank. HM Government presented the move as a response to an urgent crisis in Palestine and as a step to protect the viability of a two-state solution.
The same day, Global Affairs Canada published a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Global Affairs Canada said the ministers intended, subject to national procedures, to introduce or support restrictions on trade with settlements they regarded as illegal under international law.
The announcement followed related diplomatic action. On 26 August 2026, HM Government told the UN Security Council that Israel and Hamas should meet their commitments, called for aid to resume in Gaza, and urged Israel to halt settlement expansion in the West Bank. In Norway, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said unilateral sanctions were not Norway’s policy and emphasized multilateral action.
In practical terms, the measures linked the UK’s stated support for a two-state outcome to import controls and targeted penalties, according to HM Government. The decision carried wider diplomatic significance amid AP News reporting that the settlement-goods ban generated domestic and international political reaction.
