LABOUR finally got serious about tackling Israeli aggression today as new Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a landmark ban on trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank.

He also made a government acknowledgement — “overdue,” as he conceded — that Israel’s entire occupation of Palestinian land is illegal.

Pro-Palestine campaigners welcomed the developments, which followed Prime Minister Andy Burnham admitting that the Labour Party had got its response to the crisis in Gaza wrong, as a “first step.”

Palestine Solidarity Campaign deputy director Pete Leary said: “Millions of people across Britain will hope that today’s announcement proves to be a first step towards the British government finally meeting its obligations under international law.

“At a minimum, that requires not just a ban on trade with illegal settlements but also a complete end to the trade in weapons and other forms of co-operation that helps Israel to sustain its system of apartheid.

“It must also include action against companies, charities and other entities linked to Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people including its ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

The mass movement that “has brought us to this point must continue until freedom and justice are secured,” Mr Leary said.

And TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said “this is an important step forward for Palestinians who have faced the ongoing and escalating threat of illegal settler violence” and towards a “just and lasting peace.”

Mr Miliband announced the policy shift, an explicit repudiation of the Starmer-era backing for Israel, in a powerful Commons statement which he said represented “a Britain that upholds its values at home and around the world, a Britain that fights against oppression and suffering wherever it occurs, a Britain that stands up for what is right.”

Canada, France and other European countries were taking similar action today.

On trade with the illegal West Bank settlements, Mr Miliband said: “I do not believe the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops, so we will introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories,” over the next nine months.

“We will go further. We will take action against specific companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure financing or real estate for settlement expansion.”

Those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements “will face the full force of UK sanctions,” he warned, pledging that there would be no repetition of the recent exhibition in London advertising West Bank land for sale.

On Gaza, the Foreign Secretary warned that “war crimes appear to have been committed” by Israel and he announced a tightening of arms sales.

“We will now also refuse all licence applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation — in effect, a double lock against arms sales,” to “remain in place as long as the occupation persists,” he said.

Mr Miliband announced “that the official view of the British government is that the occupation is unlawful because of Israel’s entrenchment of its control, its intention to extend permanent sovereignty and its expansionist agenda.”

He pledged further sanctions on violent Israeli settlers engaged in ethnic cleansing.

“All too often, the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this,” he said. Throughout, he emphasised that he was acting to save the prospects of a “two-state solution” to the crisis.

The new policy had near-unanimous support among Labour MPs, who were relieved that the government was finally doing something purposeful.

Stroud MP Simon Opher rejoiced that they were “no longer bystanders wringing our hands,” while foreign affairs committee chair Emily Thornberry said she was “very happy to see a British Labour government finally do the right thing.”

While the Tory front bench criticised the package of measures, the longest-serving Conservative MP Edward Leigh was unstinting in his praise for the Foreign Secretary.

“I am proud to say, as the longest-serving member of the Conservative Friends of Israel, that I absolutely and fully support what he is doing today, because it is about standing up for freedom, for morality, and justice of all people in this world,” he said.

The Green Party, Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party backed the government.

For the Greens, Ellie Chowns urged further action, including “a full two-way arms embargo, wide-ranging sanctions, an end to military and intelligence co-operation, and withdrawal from the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement.”

Palestinian ambassador to Britain Husam Zomlot said: “Today, Britain begins to move from condemnation to consequences, from words to action.”

And Palestinian trade union leader Shaher Saed said the moves were “an important step in the right direction” but added that “we encourage the UK government to go further.”

The Israeli government responded angrily by excluding Britain from the US-led Gaza mission and closing Britain’s consulate in Jerusalem.

The leadership of the British Jewish community joined in the criticism, but former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert publicly welcomed the moves, blaming settler “terrorism.”

Your Party parliamentary leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to Mr Burnham urging further action, including officially designating Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, something Mr Miliband declined to do today, backing his Bill to establish a public inquiry into British complicity and overturn the proscription of Palestine Action.

Eleven British MPs have been banned from travelling to Israel, including Mr Corbyn, Diane Abbott, Zarah Sultana and the entire Green parliamentary party.