UK to announce new sanctions on Israel tomorrow

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to announce a trade ban on Israeli settlements tomorrow, an official familiar with the matter confirmed to i24NEWS.

Foreign Minister Ed Miliband will announce them tomorrow morning following a cabinet meeting.

The Times reported that Burnham told President Trump about the proposed ban in a phone call on Monday. No 10 said the prime minister had stressed the importance of the two-state solution.

The Trump administration is expected to make a statement attacking the decision.

The sanctions appear to have been fast-tracked by the government, as Miliband announced on September 1 that new sanctions would be announced in the coming weeks.

There is speculation that the sanctions have been pushed forward over concerns that they will interfere with the UK Labour Party's conference at the end of the month, as well as speculation that the Green Party would use the lack of sanctions as an attack line in the upcoming by-election for former prime minister Keir Starmer’s former seat, which he resigned from last week.

The UK government raised concerns over Israel's plan to construct the E1 settlement between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem.