Three Church of England bishops have strongly criticised the U.K. government for “inaction” over failing to make clear its stance on the West Bank.
In a letter to The Guardian, Rt Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsfordm, Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester and Rt Rev Graham Usher. Bishop of Norwich said they are “incredulous” that the government hasn’t yet published its response to a 2024 advisory from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered Israel to end its occupation of Palestine.
Writing just after a trip to the West Bank last week, they stated: “While world leaders met in Davos to debate futuristic plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, which are largely disconnected from reality, we visited and listened to Palestinian Christian communities across the West Bank as to their lived reality.”
They said they had spoken to families living in “fear and torment” and that the violence had robbed them of the ability to earn a living and provide for their families.
The bishops said they had spoken to families “living in fear and torment – an unending nightmare where they are denied any possibility of living with even minimal dignity."
They said the violence has robbed them of the ability to earn a living and provide for their families.
“Faced with such abandonment, and denied any agency as to their future, many now feel they have no other choice but to leave or to die standing," they added "This seems to be the Israeli government’s intentional strategy.”
Attacks by right-wing Jewish settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank have escalated since the Oct 7. attacks. The bishops say the failure of the UK government to publish its response to the ICJ ruling has “contributed to a culture of impunity which the Israeli government has used to accelerate its de facto annexation of the West Bank."
Urging the government “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory," they added: “The situation in the West Bank is a tragedy foretold. Before it is too late, we must stand up and do the right thing.”
In December 2025, Israel strongly rejected criticism from 14 western countries including the U.K., over its approval of new settlements in the West Bank.
According to Israeli officials, a total of 69 settlements have been approved over the past three years in the West Bank. More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, alongside around 3 million Palestinians.