The US has demanded Britain drops sanctions on Israeli ministers for ‘inciting violence’ against Palestinians.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the travel ban and asset freeze imposed on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich would not help to secure a ceasefire.

Amid signs of splits between Western allies over the carnage in Gaza, Mr Rubio urged Keir Starmer ‘not to forget who the real enemy is’. 

The UK is taking the action alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway. 

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said yesterday that the ministers had been ‘inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months, they have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights’.

But in a post on X overnight, Mr Rubio said: ‘The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet. These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.’

Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich (above) will also be sanctioned after being accused with Mr Ben-Gvir of ‘inciting violence’ against Palestinians

Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (above) will be subject to a travel ban and asset freeze after Britain sanctioned two of Israel’s government ministers

Amid signs of splits between Western allies over the carnage in Gaza , Marco Rubio urged Keir Starmer ‘not to forget who the real enemy is’

He added: ‘We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. 

‘The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.’

Israel foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has branded the sanctions ‘outrageous’. 

Ministers will be nervous that tensions with the US over Israel could bleed across into other areas – such as ongoing negotiations over implementing Keir Starmer’s trade deal with Donald Trump.   

The measures against Israel’s security and finance ministers were announced yesterday. 

Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir belong to right-wing parties that help to prop up Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition government. Both have been criticised for their hardline stance on Gaza.

Mr Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza, and also supported the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.

Meanwhile, Mr Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza’s people to be resettled from the territory.

In a joint statement with the foreign ministers of the other nations who also imposed sanctions, Mr Lammy said that the two sanctioned ministers had incited ‘serious abuses of Palestinian human rights’ and described their actions as ‘not acceptable’.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said yesterday that the ministers had been ‘inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months, they have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights’

The statement added: ‘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.’

Downing Street said the two men had been sanctioned in their ‘personal capacities’ and not ‘their ministries and departments’.

‘As the Israeli ambassador to the UK has said in recent interviews, their statements in their ministerial capacities do not even represent government policy,’ a Number 10 spokesman said.

In May, Mr Lammy paused negotiations towards a UK trade deal with Israel as the Government sought to pressure it to abandon its planned offensive into Gaza.

Keir Starmer, France’s president Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney also wrote a joint statement last month warning that Israel’s leaders risked ‘breaching International Humanitarian Law’, and calling for more aid to be allowed into Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu responded by claiming the three leaders were on the ‘wrong side’ of history.

In September last year, the Government halted 30 out of around 350 arms sales licences to Israel, for fear they may be used for war crimes.

Ministers insist that this means F-35 fighter jets used by Israel no longer receive replacement parts from the UK, and no UK-made bombs or ammunition are used in Gaza.

It emerged yesterday that UK civil servants have been told to quit if they feel the UK has not been tough enough with Israel over its conduct in the war.

Displaced Palestinians walk past the ruins of destroyed buildings along the Gaza shoreline

Donald Trump has been staunchly backing Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terrorists attacks

The Foreign Office’s two most senior officials, Sir Oliver Robbins and Nick Dyer, responded to a letter by 300 staff raising concerns about Israel’s conduct.

The staff letter, seen by the BBC, was sent to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month and warned of ‘complicity’ in Israel’s actions.

It also questioned continued British arms sales to the country and what they branded a ‘stark… disregard for international law’ by Israel.

In their response to the letter, Sir Oliver and Mr Dyer told staff their ‘ultimate recourse is to resign’ if they disagree with Government policy.

They insisted they wanted to see a ‘healthy challenge’ to policy but said it was up to civil servants to deliver on the will of the Government.

The senior officials’ response sparked a furious backlash from trade union bosses.

Fran Heathcote, of the PCS union, said it was ‘simply reprehensible’ to suggest staff should quit if they are ‘uncomfortable with what they are being asked to do’.

The staff letter, which follows several other similar missives to civil service chiefs, was signed on May 16, it was reported.

The signatories said: ‘In July 2024, staff expressed concern about Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law and potential UK Government complicity.

‘In the intervening period, the reality of Israel’s disregard for international law has become more stark.’