Twelve countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, have announced plans to impose restrictions on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, escalating international pressure over Israel’s settlement expansion and settler violence.

According to Al Jazeera, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK said they intend to introduce national restrictions, or support European-wide measures, on trade in goods originating from Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.

The joint move came as the UK announced that it would introduce an import ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told parliament that London could no longer simply condemn the expansion of settlements and the suffering of Palestinians without taking action.

“Today we refuse to be bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two-state solution,” Miliband said, reaffirming Britain’s support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

France and Canada are also expected to introduce bans on goods originating from Israeli settlements, while Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden have indicated support for further action.

Daily Sabah reported that the 12 countries’ joint declaration strongly condemned Israel’s illegal settlement expansion and the escalating violence by Israeli settlers, warning that the situation in the occupied West Bank is rapidly deteriorating.

The countries specifically raised concerns over Israel’s decision to advance the E1 settlement project near Jerusalem, which critics say could effectively divide the West Bank and further undermine the prospects for a viable Palestinian state.

The joint declaration said the countries “firmly oppose” actions that could lead to the annexation of Palestinian land or the forced displacement of Palestinians. They also called on Israel to halt settlement expansion, curb settler violence and hold those responsible for attacks against Palestinians accountable.

Britain, France and Canada separately described the latest measures as a further turning point in their efforts to protect the two-state solution.

The three countries said systematic settlement expansion and the sharp rise in settler violence pose an “urgent threat” to the possibility of a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians. They also pledged to work together at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly to advance efforts towards a two-state solution.

The measures, however, have triggered a sharp response from Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused the British government of making what he called “outrageous lies” about Israel and announced a series of retaliatory measures against the UK.

Saar said Israel would close Britain’s consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, which is accredited to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Israel also plans to exclude Britain from a US-led coordination mission for Gaza, terminate British training of Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank and impose entry restrictions on some British officials and other nationals.

The United States, meanwhile, has rejected the UK-led approach. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would not join the sanctions, arguing that it did not want to take measures that could further destabilise the West Bank amid the wider regional crisis.

The economic impact of the UK’s proposed restrictions is expected to be relatively limited, with Al Jazeera noting that annual bilateral trade between Britain and Israel is worth around £6 billion ($8.12 billion). Questions also remain over how Britain will distinguish goods produced inside Israel from those originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli settlements and outposts across the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. According to figures cited by Al Jazeera from the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, around 780,000 Israeli settlers currently live across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.

The latest measures come amid growing international concern over settlement expansion and violence against Palestinians, with rights groups warning that continued settlement activity is making the prospect of a Palestinian state increasingly difficult to achieve.

The 12 countries said their actions were intended to protect the possibility of a two-state solution and contribute to a “just and lasting peace” in the region.