London: A British minister has confirmed that the UK will announce a trade ban on goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank later today, as part of London's push to uphold the two-state solution.
According to Oman News Agency, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said last week, six weeks into his tenure, that he was reviewing Britain's policy towards Israel and is expected to make a statement to the House of Commons on the planned restrictions.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office last July, spoke with US President Donald Trump on Monday, stressing "the importance of the two-state solution" - a move seen as a signal of the impending measures.
Miliband said last week that the "E-1" settlement project in the occupied West Bank "would cut through land the Palestinians claim for their state, undermining the two-state solution."
Asked about the enforcement mechanism, Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden declined to provide details. McFadden told Times Radio: "The Foreign Secretary will make a statement to Parliament later today."
He added: "The reason this threat has become more urgent is the expansion of settlement activity in recent weeks and months."
UN bodies and most governments, including the UK, consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and view the territory as under Israeli military occupation. Israel, however, maintains that the land is "disputed" rather than occupied, asserting a historical Jewish claim to it.
