UK, Canada, France warn Israel: End Gaza offensive or face sanctions

Britain halts trade talks, imposes settler sanctions as international outrage grows over Israel’s military escalation and Gaza blockade

LONDON (MNTV) — The leaders of the U.K., France, and Canada have issued a stark warning to Israel to halt its military escalation in Gaza or face “concrete action”, including sanctions.

The move marks a significant hardening of Western positions as Israel’s war in Gaza draws increasing international condemnation.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Parliament that he, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are “horrified” by Israel’s renewed offensive.

The trio’s joint statement, released a day earlier, called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, a halt to settlement expansion in the West Bank, and urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“We must coordinate our response because this war has gone on for far too long,” Starmer said, as U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy prepared to outline Britain’s measures in detail.

Shortly after, Lammy announced the suspension of negotiations for a new Free Trade Agreement with Israel.

While the current trade pact remains in place, talks for an upgraded deal are now frozen. Lammy cited Israel’s “egregious policies” in Gaza and the West Bank as incompatible with progressing diplomatic and economic ties.

“We cannot move forward on an FTA with a government that is violating international law and blocking life-saving aid,” Lammy declared in the House of Commons.

In a significant diplomatic rebuke, the U.K. summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely to explain what British officials called a “wholly disproportionate” military campaign and the expansion of illegal settlements.

Hamish Falconer, the U.K.’s Parliamentary Undersecretary for the Middle East, described the ongoing blockade on Gaza aid as “cruel and indefensible.” He stressed Israel’s legal obligations to allow unrestricted humanitarian access.

“Israel must ensure full, safe and unhindered delivery of aid. The limited amount now being let in is not enough,” Falconer said.

“We must achieve an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Only a path to a two-state solution offers lasting peace and security.”

The U.K. also imposed sanctions on several Israeli settler activists and groups accused of violence against Palestinians. Among them are Zohar Sabah, previously sanctioned by the U.S. in November, and Daniella Weiss, a prominent figure in the illegal settlement movement. Four settler-linked entities were also blacklisted.

Lammy said the move was intended to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable:
“I have seen the terror inflicted by settler violence. Today we send a clear message — such abuses will not be tolerated.”

European pressure mounts

In Brussels, EU foreign ministers also intensified pressure on Israel. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said her government would now push for sanctions against specific Israeli ministers for failing to protect civilians in Gaza.

“There is no visible improvement in the humanitarian situation,” she said. “We must raise the tone.”

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell echoed these concerns.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas described Israel’s limited easing of the Gaza blockade as “a drop in the ocean.” Thousands of aid trucks remain stalled at Gaza’s borders, she noted.

“This aid is funded by European taxpayers. It must reach those in desperate need. The humanitarian situation is extremely grave,” Kallas said.

EU ministers are considering a Dutch proposal to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing Article 2, which commits both sides to respect human rights.

Israel responded angrily to Britain’s actions.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed the U.K.’s decision to pause trade talks as politically motivated and claimed negotiations had already stalled under the current British government. It called the sanctions “unjustified and regrettable”.

“The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago,” the ministry said, in a thinly veiled swipe at perceived colonial overreach.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing growing criticism at home and abroad, insisted that Israel would continue its military operations until its objectives are met. Analysts say these goals increasingly hint at a long-term occupation of Gaza.

“Blocking aid, expanding the war, and dismissing the concerns of your closest allies — this is indefensible, and it must stop,” Lammy said, warning that “the world is watching, and history will judge.”

The coordinated diplomatic moves by London, Paris, and Ottawa signal a new phase in Western responses to the Gaza war.

Long reluctant to publicly confront Israel, these governments now appear ready to exert political and economic pressure to force a change in course.

Starmer emphasised that an end to the violence and renewed commitment to the two-state solution is the only viable path forward.

“We repeat our demand for a ceasefire — for the hostages, for the civilians, for humanity,” he said.

As the death toll mounts and Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens, more governments are expected to follow suit. At least 22 nations have called on Israel to allow urgent aid access into Gaza, with some hinting at further sanctions if the blockade continues.