Albanese calls UK settlement sanctions a ‘seismic shift’
The UN expert said Britain’s measures marked a major departure after years of what she described as UK “complicity”.
UN expert Francesca Albanese has described the United Kingdom’s reported sanctions targeting Israeli settlements as a “seismic shift”, while criticising what she called years of UK “complicity”.
The UK has announced a ban on goods produced by Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, alongside tougher restrictions on arms sales to Israel and a broader human-rights sanctions regime.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the policy as a “comprehensive reset”. He said it was aimed at settlements and their expansion, rather than Israel or its people.
The measures represent a reported change in Britain’s approach to the issue. The supplied material does not provide the precise sanctions instruments or the full text of Albanese’s remarks.
France has also reportedly begun a process to prohibit commerce with Israeli settlements, with up to 12 countries potentially involved. The UK and Israel recorded about £6 billion in trade in 2025.
Albanese’s comments were reported by Al Jazeera Global News. The source identifies her as a UN expert but does not establish that her remarks represent an official UN position.
