UK exploring sanctions against Israeli ministers, PM Starmer says

By Alistair Smout and Muvija M

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain is considering sanctioning Israel's finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over comments they made about civilians in Gaza and West Bank settlers, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday.

Previous foreign secretary David Cameron had planned to sanction Smotrich and Ben-Gvir before his then-governing Conservative Party lost an election in July, and Starmer told parliament he too was looking at the option.

Starmer was responding to a question about Smotrich's comments that starving civilians in Gaza might be justified and Ben-Gvir's remarks that perpetrators of settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were heroes.

"We are looking at that because they're obviously abhorrent comments," the prime minister said.

In defiant statements, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir each said the threat of sanctions would not lead to a change in their positions.

"They don't scare me and I will continue to act only according to Israel's highest national interests," Ben-Gvir said in a statement, while Smotrich said "no threat will prevent me from doing the right and moral thing for the citizens of Israel."

Starmer was speaking ahead of an urgent meeting at the United Nations Security Council to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza called by Britain, France and Algeria.

Starmer's government has taken a slightly tougher line on Israel since it was elected, although it supports Israel's right to defend itself.

It has limited some arms export licences to Israel, saying there was a risk that certain equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.

On Tuesday, it also announced new sanctions on Israeli settler organisations it said had sponsored violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Starmer told lawmakers on Wednesday that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire."

"Israel must take all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties, to allow aid into Gaza in much greater volumes and provide the UN humanitarian partners the ability to operate effectively," Starmer said.

Reuters reported earlier this month that food supplies to Gaza had fallen sharply in recent weeks after Israeli authorities introduced a new customs rule. The United States has said the humanitarian situation must improve or Israel could face potential restrictions on U.S. military aid.

Israel's envoy to the U.N. said that it was committed to ensuring aid reaches those who need it.

(Reporting by Muvija M, Catarina Demony and Alistair Smout in London and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem,Editing by Kate Holton and Ros Russell)