Egypt, Jordan welcome UK measures restricting trade linked to illegal Israeli settlements

Egypt and Jordan welcomed measures by the UK restricting trade linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling for further international action to halt settlement expansion and protect the two-state solution, Anadolu Agency reported.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the UK’s decision to ban trade in goods and certain services associated with illegal settlements is an important step that reflects a commitment to international law and relevant international resolutions.

The ministry said the measures will help counter illegal settlement activity and attempts to impose new realities on the ground in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

“Continued settlement expansion undermines the territorial unity of Palestinian land and the possibility of establishing an independent, viable Palestinian state,” it said.

Egypt reiterated that a just and lasting peace requires ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state along the 4th June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Cairo also expressed support for a joint statement by the foreign ministers of 12 countries reaffirming the two-state solution and outlining national and European measures to restrict trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements.

The 12 countries are Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

Egypt welcomed growing international efforts to translate opposition to illegal settlements into practical measures and urged other countries to take similar steps.

READ: Israel advances plans for more than 1,000 settlement homes in central West Bank

Jordan calls for real consequences

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also welcomed the British measures, saying they target unlawful Israeli actions and policies that consolidate occupation, undermine the two-state solution and perpetuate injustice.

“We thank the British government for standing up for what is right,” Safadi said in a statement.

He also thanked Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden for announcing their intention to take similar measures and acknowledged steps already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and other countries.

Safadi said illegal settlements, violence by Israeli occupiers, land confiscation, the inhumane treatment of Palestinians and restrictions on the Palestinian economy will not bring peace or security.

He also warned against violations of the historic and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites.

“There is only one path to a just and lasting peace that guarantees security for all: Ending the unlawful occupation of Palestine and implementing the two-state solution,” he said.

Safadi urged the international community to take effective action to stop Israeli policies that undermine the prospects for peace and the right of people across the region to live in security.

“The Israeli government must face real consequences for its radical policies and violations of international law,” he said, warning that it must not be allowed to condemn the region to further wars and suffering.

The statements came amid growing international pressure over Israeli settlement expansion and violence by Israeli occupiers in the West Bank, with several European countries considering or adopting restrictions on trade connected to illegal settlements.

Earlier Tuesday, the foreign ministers of 12 Western countries announced restrictions on trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

READ: 11 European countries plus Canada vow restrictions on trade with illegal Israeli settlements

The announcement came in a joint statement on the two-state solution issued by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

It also came after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced Tuesday that the UK will impose an import ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians.

Since taking office in late 2022, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the establishment of 104 new illegal settlements, while 160 agricultural outposts have been established in the West Bank, according to Palestinian figures.

During the first half of 2026, Israeli occupiers carried out 3,488 attacks in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

The attacks killed 17 Palestinians and fully or partially displaced 26 Bedouin and pastoral communities, while 42 new illegal outposts were established, the commission said.

Around 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in 194 illegal settlements and 400 illegal outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian figures.

The West Bank has seen escalating attacks by occupiers and Israeli army raids amid Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

READ: UK announces sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank