Labour demands travel bans for perpetrators of settler violence in West Bank
The shadow foreign secretary was writing after visiting a Bedouin community in the West Bank.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Labour has demanded that ministers impose travel bans on Israelis responsible for settler violence in the West Bank while criticising the āintolerableā death toll in Gaza.
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy urged the Government to provide greater assistance to humanitarian organisations supporting Palestinians.
In a hardening of Labourās tone, he argued in an article for the Observer that ātoo often, Israeli authorities have turned a blind eye to settler violenceā.
He also criticised two hardline Israeli ministers for their ātotally unacceptableā support for settlers while promoting ādangerous and extreme rhetoric about Palestiniansā.
āBritain should join with key partners like the US in pressuring Israel to act on settler violence,ā he wrote.
āThe UK Government must impose these travel bans now, and provide greater assistance to humanitarian organisations that support Palestinians at risk of forcible transfer.
āIt is imperative that these forcibly displaced Palestinians be supported in returning safely and freely to their homes.ā
Repeating criticism from leader Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Lammy said that the ādeath and destructionā in Gaza over the last two months since the Hamas attack has been āintolerableā.
The shadow foreign secretary was writing after visiting a Bedouin community in the West Bank, arguing that since the October 7 attack 1,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the region.
āIllegal settlers do not just steal land and possessions. They snatch the hope of a two-state solution, the only prospect for a lasting peace across Israel and Palestine,ā he said.
Mr Lammy singled out national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich for criticism.
He said they have secured millions in funding for settlers āwhile defunding the Palestinian Authority and promoting dangerous and extreme rhetoric about Palestiniansā.
Labour has been deeply divided over the response to Israelās war in the Gaza Strip, with some seeing the leadership as being too uncritical of the government in Tel Aviv.
Mr Lammyās comments came after Britain chose to abstain on a United Nations resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Thirteen of the 15-member security council voted in favour, but the action was blocked because of Washingtonās veto on Friday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned of a āhumanitarian catastropheā in Gaza as he urged the nations to demand Israel stops the war.
He argued that Gaza is at āa breaking pointā, that there is a serious threat of starvation and that there is a risk of āmass displacement into Egyptā.