US condemns UK decision to sanction two Israeli ministers
The United States has condemned the UK's decision to sanction two Israeli ministers over what was described as 'egregious abuses' of human rights in Gaza.
Marco Rubio, Donald Trump's secretary of state, argued that the travel ban and asset freeze imposed on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich 'do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire' and called for the measures to be reversed.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Tuesday that the ministers had been 'inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months, they have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'.
The UK is taking the action alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.
Mr Rubio said that the US 'stands shoulder-to-shoulder' with Israel.
In a post on X, he said that the 'United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet.
'These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.'
He went on to say that America reminds 'our partners not to forget who the real enemy is'.
'The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.'
The sanctions against Israel's security and finance ministers were announced on Tuesday. Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir both belong to right-wing parties which help to prop up Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition government, and both have been criticised for their hardline stance on Gaza.
Mr Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza and also supported the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
Meanwhile, Mr Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza 's people to be resettled from the territory.
In a joint statement with the foreign ministers of the other nations who also imposed sanctions, Mr Lammy said that the two sanctioned ministers had incited 'serious abuses of Palestinian human rights' and described their actions as 'not acceptable'.
The statement added: 'We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas, which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution.'
Downing Street said that the two men had been sanctioned in their 'personal capacities' and not 'their ministries and departments'.
'As the Israeli ambassador to the UK has said in recent interviews, their statements in their ministerial capacities do not even represent government policy,' a Number 10 spokesman said.
The UK and other allies have upped pressure on Israel in recent weeks, amid aid shortages in Gaza and suggestions that a large-scale offensive could be launched into the territory.
It has been reported that only scarce amounts of aid are making it into the hands of people, and the slow flow of food and medicines has prompted warnings of famine and starvation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Labour's Jonathan Reynolds 'hopeful' US-UK deal on car tariffs will FINALLY be in place in days - with Britain 'ready to go' once Donald Trump gives the green light
Britain's deal with America to reduce tariffs on UK car exports could finally be implemented within days, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds signalled today. More than a month ago, on 8 May, PM Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump struck an agreement in the wake of the US President imposing sweeping trade tariffs across the world. The two leaders struck a 'cars for agriculture' deal that would see tariffs on British automotive and steel exports to the US slashed. This was in exchange for greater access to UK markets for American goods such as beef and ethanol. But the agreement is still yet to be implemented amid claims the two sides are still negotiating over the section of the deal affecting British steel exports. Mr Reynolds this afternoon insisted Britain was 'ready to go' as soon as the US President gives the green light on the deal. He told reporters at a Westminster lunch event: 'We are ready to go on our side. 'In terms of the steps I need to take, I will inform the House [of Commons] with a written ministerial statement and lay the statutory instruments for the reciprocal part of that deal, which is obviously about beef and ethanol for us on this side. 'So we're ready to go, and as soon as the President and the White House on their side are able to, we will implement that part of the deal.' The Business Secretary added he was 'very hopeful' the agreement could be implemented by the end of this week. Sir Keir is soon due to meet with Mr Trump at the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada, which begins on Sunday. Earlier this week, Mr Reynolds met with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick in London, with the PM also dropping in on the meeting. He said: 'We have had - again - a very significant week. We have not only had interactions this week... between ourselves and the US, and ourselves and China, we have been hosting talks between the US and China.' Mr Reynolds added: 'Secretary Lutnick and I and the PM talked specifically about the execution of the automotive tariff reduction, the quota, which is part of our deal.' Along with 10 per cent tariffs on all British goods, Mr Trump earlier this year imposed 25 per cent levies on cars and steel. He later increased the tariff on steel to 50 per cent, but gave the UK a reprieve, keeping Britain's rate at 25 per cent until at least July 9. Under the broad terms of last month's UK-US agreement, the US will implement quotas that will effectively eliminate the tariff on British steel and reduce the tariff on UK vehicles to 10 per cent. Following Tuesday's meeting with Mr Reynolds and the PM, Mr Lutnick posted on X/Twitter: 'It was a pleasure to meet our great ally, the Prime Minister of the UK, at Downing Street. 'We agreed to implement our historic trade deal as soon as possible, starting with the agreed quotas for UK autos, and US beef and ethanol, becoming simultaneously active in the coming days.'
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jonathan Reynolds mocks Nigel Farage's coal mines plan as an ‘absolute parody'
Jonathan Reynolds has mocked Nigel Farage for wanting to reopen the coal mines in Wales, dubbing him an 'absolute parody'. The business secretary, whose grandfather was a coal miner, admitted that Reform UK are Labour's biggest opponents – but said Mr Farage fails to understand 'the pride in where we're from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future'. Speaking at a media lunch in Parliament, Mr Reynolds also defended the UK's plan for closer trade ties with the US, saying: 'We might have different views but we have to engage with them'. His comments come after Mr Farage announced his party wants to restart Port Talbot's blast furnaces and 're-industrialise Wales'. On a visit to South Wales, the leader of Reform UK said the resumption of traditional steelmaking and coal production is the party's long-term ambition if it comes to power. The speech came one year ahead of the Senedd elections in May next year, where the party is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination. But Mr Reynolds shot down the plan, telling reporters: 'When I see someone like Nigel Farage go to Wales and say to those people, 'I'm going to reopen the coal mines' and he thinks that's what working class people want - that is an absolute parody of what someone like Nigel Farage thinks that people like I grew up actually want.' He added: 'My grandfather was a coal miner, kind of much like everyone where I grew up… It was a position of real responsibility and family pride. 'He went down the mine fourteen years ago. He had one message for my dad, and that was 'don't go down the mine'. And he became a fireman. 'That's the bit that our opponents don't understand: the pride in where we're from and what we represent, but also the aspiration for the future.' Acknowledging that Reform is currently Labour's biggest opponent, he said the challenge facing the government is to persuade voters that 'mainstream politics can deliver for them'. Turning to the US trade deal, Mr Reynolds said the UK was able to negotiate one before other countries because Britain has made an effort to understand America's mindset. 'This is not US politics disrupting global trade. This is how global trade has disrupted US politics', he said. 'We might have different views but we have to engage with them.' The business secretary also recounted one phone call with his US counterpart Howard Lutnick, where he said he was worried he was 'going to sell the NHS' because of poor phone signal. 'The Woodhead Pass between South Yorkshire and Manchester is probably the only place in Britain with worse mobile phone reception than working in Parliament…. 'Howard starts talking, but because of the reception, every fifth or sixth word is genuinely cutting out of signal. 'I'm literally slightly worried I'm going to sell the f***ing NHS because of Britain's telecommunications infrastructure. I didn't. And I'm pleased to say we were the first country to get a deal.' The deal, announced last month by Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, will see British tariffs on steel and automotive exports to the US slashed in exchange for greater access to the UK for some American goods. But the deal has still not been implemented, with both Washington and London yet to take the necessary steps to reduce tariffs. Mr Reynolds said the UK is 'ready to go' on implementing it's the deal, but is waiting for the White House to finalise it on their side. The business secretary added he was 'very hopeful' that the agreement would come into effect 'very soon', but acknowledged negotiations had not 'always been easy'. A Reform UK spokesman said: 'Labour are continuing to deindustrialise our towns and communities across the country. They don't blink when we lose thousands of well paid jobs in these crucial industries. 'Labour simply don't understand working people. Reform will continue to call for the re-industrialisation of Britain and with it, bring back thousands of well paid jobs.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
UK to invest 200 million pounds in Acorn carbon capture project in Scotland
LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) - Britain will invest 200 million pounds ($272 million) in the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Scotland, the government said on Thursday, fleshing out details of funding for the technology announced in a spending review on Wednesday. Britain has a climate target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and has said CCS will be needed to curb emissions from energy-intensive industrial sectors. Acorn, being developed by Storegga, Shell UK (SHEL.L), opens new tab, Harbour Energy (HBR.L), opens new tab and North Sea Midstream Partners, in St Fergus, Scotland, will capture carbon dioxide emissions from industry and store them under the North Sea. "This vital support will enable the critical work needed to reach Final Investment Decision (FID) and marks a major step forward — not only for Acorn, but for the development of Scotland's CCS infrastructure and the growth of a UK-wide carbon capture and storage industry," Tim Stedman, CEO of Storegga, said in an emailed statement. The government said it would also back the Viking CCS project in the Humber region, in the north of England, without specifying how much it would receive. "This (funding) will support industrial renewal in Scotland and the Humber with thousands of highly-skilled jobs at good wages to build Britain's clean energy future," Britain's energy minister, Ed Miliband, said in a release from Britain's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Once operational, the two projects could capture up to 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the government said. The funding is part of 9.4 billion pounds the government pledged to carbon capture technology over the spending review period and the 21.7 billion pounds it last year said would be spent on CCS over 25 years. ($1 = 0.7352 pounds)
