Andy Burnham, who is expected to become Britain’s prime minister later this month, has pledged to exert greater pressure on Israel over its actions in Gaza, including further sanctions and a ban on trade with goods from illegal settlements. In an interview with a British newspaper, Burnham also issued an apology for the Labour Party’s initial response to the 2023 conflict, stating the party “didn’t get it right” and that the United Kingdom was too slow to call for a ceasefire. His remarks, made as the sole candidate for the Labour leadership, outline a policy direction that departs from the more cautious approach of the outgoing Starmer government.

According to statements carried by British media, Burnham accused Israel of continuing to violate the ceasefire agreement and pointed to a surge in settler violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as the expansion of settlements. He indicated that his government would examine additional sanctions on individuals involved in violence in Gaza and measures to prohibit commerce with settlements deemed illegal under international law. Israeli officials, for their part, have maintained that military strikes in Gaza are a response to ongoing threats and fire from Hamas, even after a truce ended the main phase of the war. The previous Starmer administration had already imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli cabinet ministers and formally recognised a Palestinian state, but resisted early calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Viewed from London, political analysts note that Burnham’s tougher rhetoric is designed to regain voters alienated by Labour’s earlier stance, which initially emphasised Israel’s right to self-defence. While condemning antisemitism and the October 7 attacks, Burnham noted increasing evidence of potential war crimes and signalled a willingness to consider banning further weapons sales to Israel. He also indicated a cautious approach to any potential US-Iran conflict. In Moscow, state media framed the threatened sanctions as a response to Israeli ceasefire violations and settlement expansion, while also linking Burnham’s comments to the economic impact of the Ukraine conflict on the UK.

Burnham is expected to be formally appointed prime minister in July. Once in office, his government is likely to review existing sanctions regimes and explore legal pathways to restrict trade with settlements. The exact timeline for such measures remains unspecified, but the statements represent the most detailed public articulation of a more confrontational British posture toward the Israeli government under a Burnham premiership.