US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticised a decision by the UK and four other nations to impose sanctions on two far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers over their comments on Gaza.
"These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war," Rubio said in a statement on Tuesday.
The UK, alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, imposed sanctions on Israel's Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, claiming the pair had incited "violence against Palestinians in the West Bank".
"Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous," the countries said in a joint statement.
Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, and Ben-Gvir, the country's national security minister, are senior members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet.
They have long viewed any pause in fighting as a danger to Israeli deterrence and, as leaders of key far-right coalition parties, hold leverage over Netanyahu, whose political survival depends on their continued support.
As a result of the sanctions, both ministers could face travel bans and asset freezes.
Ben-Gvir was defiant in response to the UK government's decision to impose sanctions.
"We survived Pharaoh; we will also survive Keir Starmer," he said in a statement, comparing the sanctions to Britain's White Paper of 1939, which restricted Jewish immigration to the-then Mandatory Palestine. Ben-Gvir added that he would continue working for Israel and its people without fear or intimidation.
Smotrich said: "Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we will not allow it to do so again. We are determined to continue building."
Rubio also called on allies to "not forget who the real enemy is". He urged a reversal of the sanctions and said that the US stood "shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel".
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the sanctions "an incredible overreach".
Israel’s government strongly condemned the announcement. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the move "outrageous" and said he would meet with Netanyahu next week to discuss a formal response. He warned the sanctions could harden Hamas' position in ongoing negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
Even centrist Israeli leaders criticised the sanctions. Benny Gantz, a political rival to Netanyahu, called the decision a "profound moral mistake" and said it sends "a dangerous message to terrorists around the world".
The sanctions come as traditional allies of Israel have stepped up their criticism of the country's prolonged war in Gaza and aid blockade, which human rights groups warn has pushed the enclave to the brink of famine.
