India, Sept. 8 -- The UK government on Tuesday announced a ban on trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in a significant toughening of its position towards its longtime ally Israel.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain would prohibit imports of all goods produced in the settlements and restrict some services linked to them, including financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate and advertising.

Miliband said France and Canada would also ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements, while Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden had pledged to "support further action".

The British trade ban will come into force within six to nine months, he said.

The announcement comes amid grow...