Calls for Israeli PM Netanyahu and his justice minister to be sanctioned by UK

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his justice minister should be sanctioned by the British government, dozens of MPs have urged the UK foreign secretary.

A letter to Yvette Cooper, signed by 71 cross-party MPs and peers, says the "systematic and well-documented torture of Palestinian civilians lies with the government of Israel, including Prime Minister Netanyahu".

The group, led by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan, is urging the foreign secretary to "help end this impunity" by sanctioning Mr Netanyahu and Yariv Levin, who is the deputy prime minister, justice minister, interior minister and religious services minister.

They say the sanctions against two Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, in June last year "remain welcome" but "have done little to change the government of Israel's approach to Palestinian detainees", and since then, the situation has "escalated, with near total impunity".

The group, including 30 Labour MPs and seven Labour peers, has given three instances they say exemplify the escalation:

• A February 2026 UN report found "torture has become integral to the domination of and punishment inflicted on Palestinian men, women and children, both through custodial abuse and through a relentless campaign of forced displacement, mass killings, deprivation and the destruction of all means of life"

• Mr Netanyahu praised Israel's military advocate's decision to drop charges in March in a case involving the alleged rape of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers - partially captured on CCTV

• In April and May, Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla and Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which included British nationals, in international waters and detained them. Detainees allege they were beaten and shot, with footage of their treatment shared online by Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Mr Netanyahu and his government have repeatedly denied allegations of the torture of Palestinian detainees and have said all military personnel and intelligence services adhere to international legal standards.

UK government: 'Reports of mistreatment disgraceful'

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Sky News: "The reports of mistreatment of detainees by Israeli forces are disgraceful and we have raised this issue with the Israeli government.

"All detainees must be treated with dignity and in full accordance with international law, and any allegations of torture or mistreatment must be thoroughly investigated. The UK continues to call on the government of Israel to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross immediate and unrestricted access to all detention facilities.

"It is completely unacceptable that hundreds of Palestinian children are reportedly held in Israeli detention without charge for months."

The UK Global Sumud Flotilla delegation told Sky News they welcomed the calls for further sanctions.

The letter is also signed by four Green MPs and two peers, four Plaid Cymru MPs, six Sinn Fein MPs, two from the SDLP, two Lib Dem MPs and two peers, one SNP MP, one Conservative MP and one peer, one crossbench peer and one non-affiliated peer.

Sky News has contacted the Israeli embassy in London for a comment.

(c) Sky News 2026: Calls for Israeli PM Netanyahu and his justice minister to be sanctioned by UK