UK urges urgent action on West Bank violence and economic strain

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UK urges West Bank action

Highlights

The UK warns at the UN that Israel’s settlement expansion, including approval of over 6,000 units in 2026 and the E1 project, threatens prospects for a two-state solution.
London cites UN data showing an average of six daily attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank since 2026 and urges immediate action to halt coordinated settler violence.
The UK highlights that Israel’s withholding of over U.S.$5 billion in Palestinian revenues is causing severe economic strain and undermining essential public services in the West Bank.

UK sets out West Bank concerns at UN

As stated in a UK government statement delivered by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council, London says Israel’s current policies in the West Bank are damaging the prospects for peaceful co-existence and a two-state solution.

The UK points to continued settlement expansion as a central concern, including the E1 project, which it says would cut the West Bank in half and separate East Jerusalem. It also cites demolitions, evictions and displacement of Palestinian communities, alongside the approval in early June of more than 2,000 settlement housing units, taking the total approved in 2026 to more than 6,000.

London also highlights Israel’s 24 June declaration of another 465 dunams of private Palestinian land as state land for a settlement outpost. The UK says it categorically opposes settlement expansion and rejects any attempt at annexation.

Security and financial risks intensify

The UK says violence and lawlessness remain alarming, citing UN data showing an average of six attacks a day against Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of 2026. It also points to a recent UN Secretary-General report describing a sharp rise in attacks by settlers on Palestinian children, reportedly often supported by Israeli security forces.

Among the incidents cited are arson attacks by extremist settlers on two mosques on 17 June. The UK says these are not isolated events but coordinated attacks on civilians, livelihoods and religious sites, and it calls on the Israeli government to halt the violence urgently and hold those responsible accountable.

London adds that it has already imposed sanctions, alongside partners, on individuals and entities that finance and enable settler violence, and says it stands ready to take further action if conditions do not improve.

The UK also warns that economic conditions in the West Bank are deteriorating sharply. It says Israel has withheld more than U.S.$5 billion in Palestinian revenues, straining the Palestinian Authority’s ability to maintain essential services, especially healthcare and medical supplies, while pressure on Palestinian financial institutions risks broader economic instability and regional fallout.

In our earlier article on Andy Burnham’s devolution-led economic agenda, we outlined his plan to shift power away from Westminster and give cities and regions greater control over essential services such as transport, housing, energy and water. We also covered his proposals for a major council housebuilding programme and a “No 10 North” hub in Manchester to coordinate long-term regional strategy while maintaining existing fiscal rules.

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