The United Kingdom's government is set to take a tougher stance on Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Foreign Minister Ed Miliband stated Tuesday.
Addressing the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Miliband called the Israeli government's actions in the Palestinian territories "a stain on the conscience of the world" and pledged new sanctions.
"I want to say to the millions of people in this country, and indeed elsewhere, who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people, 'We hear you. You were right,'" Miliband said during his speech.
The foreign minister also referenced what he described as "ethnic cleansing by the settler terrorists in the West Bank," signaling Britain's intention to hold Israeli authorities accountable for their conduct in the region.
The announcement comes as tensions remain high over Israeli military operations in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank. Miliband's remarks represent a shift in Britain's public diplomatic posture toward the Israeli government's policies in the Palestinian territories.
The specific details of the new sanctions measures were not outlined in the foreign minister's conference address, though officials said further details would be forthcoming.