Foreign secretary says government needs to 'take stronger action' with further sanctions on Israel
The foreign secretary has threatened Israel with further sanctions and said that the government will need to "take stronger action" on the country amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Speaking to ITV News exclusively, Yvette Cooper said that she is "deeply worried about what is happening in Palestine", adding that the government will "have to do more". This comes at a time when conflict in Gaza and the West Bank is flaring up again despite a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas in October last year. The government is currently not announcing any new policy while it awaits a new leader, with Andy Burnham looking like the most likely successor. Burnham's soft-left approach to politics may mean that he supports Cooper's suggestion of stronger sanctions, but he has yet to announce his foreign policy ideas. Cooper is on a trip to Poland, visiting a military training facility, when she told ITV News' Political Editor Robert Peston that the government is "looking at what further we can do" to strengthen sanctions. She said: "We've seen in Gaza that the 20-point plan is currently stalled, and I am very worried about what's happening there, but I'm also very worried about what is happening in the West Bank. "We've seen increases in settler violence and also the expansion of settlements in a way that looks designed to prevent any possibility of a sustainable two-state solution, and you have some people even just talking about the most dangerous and damaging things." Subscribe for free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. The foreign secretary was asked whether Burnham, the potential new PM, would be tougher on Israel after she publicly backed him and said he is the "right person" for the job. Burnham is yet to confirm his stance on foreign policy, but is due to speak on Monday about his plans for the economy and wider devolution. Speculation continues over who Burnham may retain in his cabinet, with many senior Labour figures coming out to back him. On Thursday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed she was supporting him, following in the footsteps of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who is a contender to replace Reeves if Burnham sacks her. From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...