The Briefing
This briefing by ICJP and Labour Muslim Network identifies six areas in which the United Kingdom should adopt further legal and policy measures in response to Israel’s conduct in the occupied Palestinian territory, namely the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
The Six Priority Areas
1. Illegal Israeli settlements: Sanctions, economic relations and charitable funding;
2. UNRWA: Sustained UK funding and protection of the Agency’s mandate and operations;
3. Religious sites and freedom of worship: Protection of Palestinian access to holy sites and places of worship, and defence of the status quo at Al-Aqsa and the Muslim and Christian holy sites of Jerusalem;
4. Arms exports: Suspension of all military exports and transfers capable of supporting Israeli military operations;
5. Protection of Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank: A UK-led initiative at the UN Security Council for an international protective presence.
6. British nationals serving in the IDF: Accountability and reform of the domestic legal framework.
These issues should not be viewed as six discrete policy questions. Rather, taken together, they demonstrate that the UK’s domestic and foreign policies, and the measures through which those policies are implemented, are not consistently adhering to its obligations under international law.
Legal Context
This legal context was significantly clarified by the ICJ in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Court concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the oPt is unlawful and that Israel is under an obligation to bring that unlawful presence to an end as rapidly as possible.
The Opinion also has implications for the conduct of third States, including the UK, and therefore provides an important framework against which UK policy should be assessed. Accordingly, UK policy should not be assessed solely by reference to whether the Government condemns particular Israeli practices or supports particular diplomatic initiatives. It should also be assessed by reference to the practical consequences of UK law and policy: whether UK financial flows, trade and economic relations, charitable funding, military exports, and other forms of support are consistent with the UK’s international legal obligations, including those arising in relation to Israel’s unlawful presence in the oPt.
This briefing therefore considers each of the six priority areas through that broader legal and policy framework, identifying the measures that the UK should take to ensure that its domestic law and policy are aligned with its obligations under international law.
It is preceded by an introduction setting out the position on the ground as of August 2026, the stated intentions of the Israeli Government, the legal position in summary, and the reasons why the measures recommended cannot wait for the outcome of the Israeli general election on 27 October 2026.
