UK pledges tougher stance on Israeli actions in Gaza, West Bank

The UK government is set to adopt a tougher stance on Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to Foreign Minister Ed Miliband. Speaking at the Labour Party conference, he called these actions a 'stain on the conscience of the world' and announced new sanctions, including banning imports from illegal settlements and disrupting British financial and service links to these settlements. Miliband also voiced support for pro-Palestinian protests, condemning ethnic cleansing and war crimes, and warned against efforts to undermine the prospect of a Palestinian state.