This Government came to power in July 2024 determined to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas, the unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza to tackle the escalating humanitarian crisis, and the restoration of a path to long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.

Over the last fifteen months, we have taken decisive action in support of these goals: restoring funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency; providing nearly £250 million in development assistance; coordinating international condemnation of the humanitarian crisis; and evacuating groups of sick and injured children to receive medical treatment in the UK.

We suspended negotiations on a new trade deal with Israel; suspended the export of arms and military equipment that could be used in Gaza; and imposed three rounds of sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and members of the Israeli cabinet.
And, after signing a landmark agreement with the Palestinian Authority to support their ambitious reform agenda, we took the historic step last month of formally recognising a Palestinian state, with no future role for Hamas, to protect the viability of a two-state solution and create a path towards a just and lasting peace, with security for the Israeli and Palestinian people alike.

We are now working tirelessly with our partners across the world to build support and momentum for the US peace initiative, which offers the quickest and most effective path to achieving the goals we have been working towards over the last year, and which – at the time of writing – is already creating hope of progress.
There is a long way still to go, but at this time, the efforts of all governments and all people of goodwill should be focused on supporting that effort to stop the bloodshed, release the hostages, end the humanitarian crisis, and restore a framework for peace.

The UK government does not believe that accepting the petitioners’ proposals at this time would contribute to that effort, and would risk punishing British businesses and workers without making any positive difference to the current situation in the Middle East, especially since the export of arms and military equipment for use in Gaza has already been suspended.

As a whole, UK exports to Israel were worth £3.3 billion in the twelve months ending March 2025, compared to £2.5 billion in Israeli exports to the UK. Those UK exports supported around 38,100 jobs in the UK in the last year for which data is available, particularly in advanced manufacturing.

Suspension of trade with Israel would not only put those jobs and businesses at risk, but would also damage the strong links between UK and Israeli scientists, who regularly collaborate on research and development projects, resulting in new technologies, medicines, industrial processes, and other products and services.

We fully understand the strength of feeling on this issue among the petitioners, but if their ultimate goal is to see an end to the war and humanitarian suffering in Gaza, then we hope they will in turn accept our sincerely held view that the quickest, most effective way to pursue that goal is not through trade sanctions, but through the current peace initiative, based on the months of groundwork that the UK has done alongside our international partners to give that initiative the best chance of success.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office