UK maintains strong economic relationship with Israel despite disagreement on Gaza

British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters said on Monday that the United Kingdom continues to maintain a strong relationship with Israel across various domains, despite disagreements over Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“The UK is not pulling back from its relationships with Israel as a place to do business with, as a center for research, and as a center for tech innovation,” Walters said, according to a Jerusalem Post report.

The report noted that the United Kingdom is “Israel’s fourth-largest trading partner globally,” with total trading between Israel and the UK last year reaching close to €6 billion ($6.98 billion).

Though praising the economic relationship between the countries, Walters told the JPost that recent plans for a new free trade agreement were canceled due to Israel’s actions in Gaza.

A new trade agreement, Walters said, “would be seen as a reward, perhaps, for policies which we very much disagreed with.”

Walters’ remarks came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer strongly criticized Israel’s recent decisions in Gaza, including plans to occupy Gaza City.

“The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately,” Starmer said in an official statement released on Aug. 8, referring to Israel's war against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

“This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.”

Starmer called for “a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution.”

While stressing, “Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm,” he also criticized Israel for its role in the “humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

Yet, humanitarian aid to Gaza has faced persistent challenges, with supplies piling up unused at border crossings, the UN failing to collect them, and large portions of shipments being stolen by Hamas before reaching civilians.

In response, Israel has increased aid through coordinated international airdrops and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), seeking new ways to deliver assistance directly to civilians despite the ongoing obstacles.

The British leader stated that neither Israel nor Hamas was “engaging in good faith negotiations,” adding that “both parties must step away from the path of destruction.”