Israeli government response to West Bank settler violence ‘completely insufficient’ says Cooper

Yvette Cooper has criticised the Israeli government’s response to settler violence in the West Bank as “completely insufficient, practically and legally.”

Addressing MPs the Foreign Secretary said: “We have seen further appalling incidents of settler violence during the olive harvest. While I welcome President Herzog’s expression of concern, the response from Israeli authorities remains inadequate, both in practical and legal terms.”

Asked about the UK’s role in promoting peace in Gaza, Cooper explained: “Alongside working with the US and others, we are leveraging distinct UK expertise to support lasting peace. This includes providing guidance on weapons decommissioning and ceasefire monitoring, drawing on experience from Northern Ireland.

“We are also supporting demining efforts, with £4 million in new UK funding for the United Nations Mine Action Service and additional resources for British organisations such as The Halo Trust and the Mines Advisory Group.”

Cooper emphasised the need to maintain peacebuilding momentum following the UN Security Council’s adoption of resolution 2803, which authorises the creation of an international stabilisation force for Gaza.

“It is essential that an international stabilisation force and trained Palestinian police are deployed quickly to support the ceasefire and prevent a power vacuum that Hamas could exploit,” she said. “We also urgently need a Palestinian committee formed alongside the peace board.”

In her update to MPs, Cooper also addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Parliamentarians voiced concern over the lack of an effective plan to end the conflict.

Cooper stated that the “sustained pressure” applied to Gaza must now be used in Sudan to step up efforts to prevent further civilian massacres.

Cooper described horrifying scenes from the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as she told MPs that the aftermath of massacres could be seen from space – including discoloured sand caused by pools of blood and piles of bodies.

More than 30 million people need lifesaving aid,  Cooper told the Commons, and 12 million have been displaced.

She said: “Famine is spreading, cholera and preventable disease are rampant and in el-Fasher, following the advances by the RSF, horrifying scenes of atrocities with mass executions, starvation, and the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war.”

Cooper continued: “I’ve instructed my officials to bring forward potential sanctions relating to human rights violations and abuses in Sudan.”

In April 2024 the previous Conservative government sanctioned businesses that were supporting either the SAF or RSF.