LONDON, May 21(Agencies) — Britain imposed sanctions on Israeli officials and suspended trade negotiations on Tuesday, condemning Israel’s “morally unjustifiable” escalation in Gaza and its 11-week blockade exacerbating famine risks. Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced measures targeting three individuals and four entities linked to settler violence, including prominent settler leader Daniella Weiss, who was recently featured in a BBC documentary. Lammy criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions as “disproportionate” and “counterproductive,” citing the dire humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
The United Nations has warned that 14,000 Palestinian infants in Gaza could perish by the end of the week without urgent intervention. Medical workers at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, bombed twice in the past seven days, described collapsing healthcare systems overwhelmed by malnourished patients and shortages of basic supplies. “Patients lie on floors; wounds fester due to malnutrition,” said Ahmad, a nurse in Khan Younis, where surgeons operate under the constant buzz of Israeli drones. Displaced families, including medical staff, report no safe zones as Israel enforces evacuation orders in areas once deemed humanitarian corridors.
In Parliament, lawmakers across party lines demanded tougher action, including an arms embargo on Israel and formal recognition of Palestine. Labour MP Melanie Ward pressed the government, asking, “What is the red line? Gaza is out of time.” Former Conservative minister Kit Malthouse echoed calls for urgency, pleading for immediate steps to save Palestinian children, while SNP leader Stephen Flynn and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer pushed for sanctions on Israeli ministers.
Netanyahu’s government dismissed the sanctions as rooted in an “anti-Israel obsession,” vowing to prioritize national security despite international pressure. Meanwhile, UK Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, condemning settler violence in the West Bank and expanded military operations in Gaza. Falconer stated, “The UK will not stand by as this happens,” underscoring Britain’s stance against the escalation.
Despite Israel permitting limited aid trucks into Gaza this week, UN officials report logistical hurdles have stalled distribution. Only 93 trucks entered the territory, carrying flour, baby food, and medical supplies—far below pre-blockade levels. Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesperson, explained that aid workers were forced to reload supplies onto separate trucks due to Israeli military directives, delaying critical deliveries.
Amid the chaos, civilians shared harrowing accounts. Fifteen-year-old Sondos, whose aunt was killed in a bombing, pleaded, “Protect us… help us feel safe again.” Malak, 13, recounted being pulled from rubble with a metal plate now in his arm, lamenting, “No one sees us as we’re torn apart.”
The UK’s sanctions and diplomatic moves reflect growing global impatience with the crisis, as leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Mark Carney join calls for immediate aid access and a ceasefire. Yet with Netanyahu framing concessions as a “prize for Hamas,” the path to de-escalation remains fraught, leaving Gaza’s civilians trapped in a deepening catastrophe.
