MORE than 130 lawyers and legal academics have warned Prime Minister Andy Burnham that sanctions on Israeli settlements fail to meet Britain’s obligations under international law.

The six-page letter, signed by figures including barrister Michael Mansfield KC and former Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Alan Moses, was sent after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements.

It said the measures “fall far short of Britain’s obligations to oppose Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory” under a 2024 International Court of Justice ruling.

The letter called for sanctions to be extended to insurance, accountancy and digital infrastructure, confirmation that no British public body holds investments in settlements, and a full arms embargo on Israel.

UCL professor Ralph Wilde said the government’s recognition of the illegal occupation was welcome, but said: “The consequences of this illegality for the UK and other states are far more wide-ranging than the important but limited actions against settlements and settlers announced.”

Soas Professor Nimer Sultany said: “The elephant in the room is that the occupation is not a bug, it’s a feature.

“Ending Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories requires immediate, effective and comprehensive actions by the UK government, not a piece-meal approach.”