UK sanctions Ben-Gvir and Smotrich over their Gaza comments. Who are they?

Britain on Tuesday sanctioned two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, over the comments they made on Gaza. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich will be banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the country frozen as part of the measures announced by the foreign secretary, David Lammy, on Tuesday.

Lammy said National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich had “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relies on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to maintain his fragile coalition government.

Israel responded to the announcement by saying, “It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kinds of measures.”

Ben-Gvir, a West Bank settler, and Smotrich have been criticised for their stance on the war in Gaza.

After announcing the sanctions, Lammy said, “These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.”

“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,” he added.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar calls the move ‘outrageous’

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the move was “outrageous” and the government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the “unacceptable decision”.

Smotrich, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in the Hebron Hills, spoke of “contempt” for Britain’s move.

The British Foreign Office said that “alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway, the UK is clear that the rising violence and intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank must stop”.

Speaking to parliament earlier, Lammy accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “planning to drive Gazans from their homes into a corner of the Strip to the south and permit them a fraction of the aid that they need.”

“Minister Smotrich even spoke of Israeli forces ‘cleansing’ Gaza, ‘destroying what’s left,’ of resident Palestinians ‘being relocated to third countries’,” Lammy said, adding, “We must call this what it is. It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous. And I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”

Ben-Gvir advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and said that the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem should be replaced with a synagogue.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have clashed repeatedly with Netanyahu, both calling for the permanent conquest of Gaza and re-establishment of the Jewish settlements there which Israel abandoned in 2005, but the Israeli leader rejected their demand.

In May, London had suspended free trade talks with Israel for pursuing “egregious policies” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, summoned its ambassador, and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers.

The leaders of Britain, France, and Canada reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution for ending the conflict and threatened “concrete actions” against Israel if it continued the renewed military offensive in Gaza and maintained aid restrictions.

In response, Netanyahu accused them of wanting to help Hamas and being "on the wrong side of history".

Israel began its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 people taken into Gaza as hostages.