Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets construction apprentices during a visit to London South Bank Technical College in London, Britain, May 12, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool

More than a third of lawmakers from Britain‘s governing Labour Party signed a letter on Monday calling on the British government to end trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has had to balance Britain‘s historic position as a close ally of Israel and the United States with pressure from within his center-left party to take a firmer line over Israeli actions toward Palestinians.

“There is an urgent need for accountability and concrete consequences in response to Israel’s violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are spiraling by the day,” said the letter. “We believe ending trade with settlements is a vital next step.”

It was signed by 137 Labour lawmakers, more than a third of the party’s 402 members of the 650-seat House of Commons.

Israel’s governing coalition has enabled a rapid expansion of settlements, communities in the West Bank which most countries consider a violation of international law. Palestinians seek the West Bank among other territory as part of a future state.

Israel disputes claims of illegality, citing historical ties to the West Bank and noting the settlements provide strategic depth and security. Defenders of Israel also note that, while about one-fifth of the country’s population is Arab and enjoys equal rights, Palestinian law forbids selling any land to Israelis.

Last year, Spain became the first EU country to announce a ban on imports of goods from Israeli settlements, and other European countries such as Ireland and the Netherlands are considering similar steps.

Asked about the letter and the call for a trade ban, a spokesperson for Britain‘s Foreign Ministry did not comment directly but said Britain had “strongly and repeatedly condemned settler violence and the expansion of illegal settlements.”

“We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to clamp down on all those who are seeking to inflame tensions, and to tackle the unacceptable violence and destruction of property that is being committed by settler groups against Palestinian communities,” the spokesperson said.

Under Starmer, London has paused free trade talks with Israel, suspended some arms export licenses, and imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Last year Britain joined allies including France and Canada in recognizing a Palestinian state.

Britain has opposed a proposed new settlement known as E1, which would split the West Bank in two, and has joined allies in urging businesses not to bid for tenders to build it.

The Guardian newspaper reported late on Sunday that Britain was preparing new measures to deter companies from getting involved in the E1 settlement. The government said it would not comment on future sanctions plans.