UK Labour MP urges full sanctions, isolation of Israel over West Bank

British Labour MP John McDonnell on Saturday urged the UK government to impose "full sanctions and political isolation" on Israel, warning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to transform the occupied West Bank into a "second Gaza."

West Bank escalation

McDonnell's call came after Netanyahu announced plans for a large-scale military offensive in the West Bank involving the displacement of Palestinians and home raids, following an attack near Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three others. The Labour lawmaker for Hayes and Harlington posted on social media platform X: "As Netanyahu starts the process of turning the West Bank into a second Gaza our government has to act. The message needs to go out that this extension of the genocide will not be tolerated."

Sanctions appeal

In an interview with Anadolu earlier this month, McDonnell urged the government to go beyond limited sanctions against Israeli settlements. "It's important that they've introduced some sanctions against the Israeli settlements. It's not far enough. What we need is overall sanctions, the end of trade," he said. The 75-year-old MP also demanded a total halt to arms sales to Israel.

Israeli military plans

Netanyahu declared Friday during an incursion into Hebron that the army was preparing the offensive involving the displacement of Palestinians and raids on homes, describing it as a campaign of collective punishment following the checkpoint attack. Israeli forces have intensified operations across the occupied territory amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which has drawn sustained international condemnation.