U.K. suspends trade talks with Israel as pressure mounts over war in Gaza

The British government said Tuesday that it’s suspending trade negotiations with Israel and will impose sanctions on settlers in the West Bank after publishing a joint letter with Canada and France threatening to take action if Israel refuses to halt its military operations in Gaza.

In the letter, leaders of the three Western countries wrote that they oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and that the level of human suffering there is “intolerable.” They called on the Israeli government to immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. They also called on Hamas to release the remaining hostages they’ve held since Oct. 7, 2023.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the conduct of Israel’s war in Gaza is damaging Britain‘s relationship with Israel. He said in a social media post that if Israel pursues the military offensive and fails to ensure access to aid, Britain will take further action in response.

Separately, Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Vice-President of the European Commission, told reporters that the European Union will review its relationship with Israel. She said she can‘t predict the outcome of the discussion, but that European leaders share the view that humanitarian aid should reach Gaza as soon as possible.

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Ms. Kallas said Israel’s decision to allow some aid in is welcomed “but it’s not enough.” She said thousands of trucks behind the borders are waiting with EU-funded aid and it’s important it reaches people “because the situation is extremely grave.”

The new pressure on Israel marks a shift in tone from some of its long-time allies toward the country and its war on Hamas. On Saturday, Israel had announced it was launching a new military operation in Gaza. But the pushback from Britain, France, Canada and the European Union suggests their patience for military escalations is growing thin.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a scathing rebuke of Canada, France and Britain on social media after the three Western allies published their letter.

Mr. Netanyahu wrote Monday that three Western leaders are “offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities.”

The letter was signed by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who spent the weekend in Europe for Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass. There, he had the opportunity to meet with a number of European leaders. Mr. Carney is positioning himself as a leader who will push for peace in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as working for Canada to be less reliant economically on the United States.

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Next month, Canada will host the G7 leaders’ summit in Kananaskis, Alta., and these subjects are expected to be on the agenda.

Finance ministers of the G7 countries are now meeting in Banff, but François-Philippe Champagne would not answer multiple questions regarding Canada’s warning to Israel. Mr. Champagne declined to explain the position his government took or provide details on what kind of measures Canada had in mind when it warned Israel about reprisals.

The Finance Minister also suggested the Banff meeting was not the place to discuss Gaza, saying that matter is best handled by the June G7 leaders’ summit.

“I think this is for the leaders to discuss; our mission here is going to be focused on the agenda item that we have set for ourselves, which is around stability, around growth, about tackling how we can have more productivity and prosperity for the nations that we represent.”

In the letter, the leaders said that they have always supported Israel’s right to defend itself, but this escalation is “wholly disproportionate.” They said if Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on aid, they will take “further concrete actions.” They added that Israel “must halt” attempts to expand settlements in the West Bank, saying that they will not hesitate to take action, such as targeted sanctions.

While Britain announced it was suspending free-trade talks with Israel and imposing sanctions on settlers in the West Bank, Canada and France have not announced specific actions it would take. Global Affairs Canada did not respond to a request to comment.

Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.

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Patrick Robitaille, the head of humanitarian affairs at Save the Children Canada, called the situation “totally desperate.”

He said that since March 2, no aid has been able to enter Gaza, save for a handful of trucks on Monday which he said is “not even a drop in the ocean.” He said there is nothing available in Gaza, children haven‘t seen fresh food for months, and famine is on the brink of being declared.

Meanwhile, Mr. Robitaille said, there are organizations with trucks lined up at the border with the equivalent of 9,000 pallets of aid and supplies ready to be distributed.

“The idea is that it’s possible to feed people. This is a man-made disaster. Our organization and all humanitarian organizations are ready to intervene, but we‘re not able to do our job nowadays.”

Mr. Robitaille said children are at critical risk of famine and they’re seeing alarming rates of kids with malnutrition at their clinics.

He also pointed to comments United Nations relief head Tom Fletcher told the BBC on Monday that 14,000 babies could die in the next 48 hours if they’re not reached.

Mr. Fletcher wrote on X that Israeli authorities have temporarily allowed the UN to deliver aid to Gaza after 11 weeks of blockade. “It must reach the civilians who need it so urgently, and we must be allowed to scale up. We are determined to save as many lives as we can.”

Mr. Robitaille said he‘s encouraged by the statement issued by Canada, France and Britain, but accountability has to follow.

Mr. Robitaille added: “A ceasefire immediate and definitive must be enforced … this is beyond what we can see as humanity.”

With a report from Steven Chase and the Associated Press.