DaysofPal – Dozens of British Members of Parliament and members of the House of Lords have called on the UK government to impose sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, citing continued impunity for violations committed against Palestinian detainees.
According to Sky News, a letter addressed to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy was signed by 71 MPs and peers from across the political spectrum. The signatories argued that the “well-documented and systematic torture” of Palestinian civilians is the responsibility of the Israeli government, including Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The initiative was led by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan, who urged the British government to help end a culture of impunity by imposing sanctions on Netanyahu and Levin. In addition to serving as justice minister, Levin also holds the positions of deputy prime minister, interior minister, and minister of religious affairs.
The lawmakers said Britain’s decision in June to sanction Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich was a welcome step but argued that it had failed to produce meaningful changes in the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian detainees.
Instead, they said, conditions have worsened, with an almost complete absence of accountability.
The letter cited a United Nations report published in February 2026, which concluded that torture had become “an integral part” of the subjugation and punishment of Palestinian men, women, and children, both in detention facilities and through forced displacement, mass killings, deprivation, and the destruction of essential means of survival.
The signatories also referred to Netanyahu’s praise in March for a decision by Israel’s military prosecutor to drop charges in a case involving allegations that Israeli soldiers raped a Palestinian detainee. The incident had been partially documented by surveillance camera footage.
In addition, the lawmakers highlighted the Israeli navy’s interception of two aid vessels, the Labour Solidarity Flotilla and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, in international waters during April and May. They noted that those detained, including British citizens, reported being beaten and fired upon, while Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir later published video footage of the operation.
Netanyahu and his administration have consistently denied accusations of torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, arguing that all Israeli military personnel and intelligence services adhere to applicable legal norms and international law.
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