Ex-foreign secretary says targeting of Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir was deemed too political amid election

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The former foreign secretary David Cameron revealed he had been planning to impose sanctions on two extremist members of the Israeli government over their support for violent settlers and calls to block aid entering Gaza.

In a BBC interview Cameron said he was concerned the measure had not been adopted by the Labour government and had only held back from taking the step in the spring because he received advice it would be too political a step to take during the general election.