Britain and four allies joined forces Tuesday to sanction two Israeli ministers for “repeated incitements of violence” against Palestinians, upping their condemnation of Israel’s actions around the war in Gaza.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir will be banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the country frozen, Britain’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The announcement came in rare joint action alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway and comes as the Israeli government faces growing international criticism over its conduct of the conflict with Hamas.
A UK government official said on condition of anonymity that Canada and Australia had also imposed sanctions, while Norway and New Zealand had implemented travel bans only.
The measures see the five countries break from Israel’s closest ally, the United States.
Ben Gvir and Smotrich “have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian …