Ed Miliband will use his address to the Labour party conference to acknowledge party critics who have pushed for a harder line on Gaza, telling campaigners and members that they were right to say Labour's previous approach had not gone far enough. He is expected to say he is "heeding the calls of millions" by imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements.
Speaking at the gathering, Miliband will frame the move as part of a broader shift in the government's foreign policy. "We are not here to accept the status quo but to change it," he will tell delegates, signalling a more interventionist and progressive stance on international issues under the current Labour leadership.
The foreign secretary will also set out plans for the UK to take a more explicit progressive posture abroad, saying the government — under Andy Burnham's leadership — intends to position Britain as a leader among like-minded countries in what he described as a new age of diplomacy. He will emphasize cooperation with other states that share the UK's revised approach to human rights and conflict.
Miliband's remarks are likely to be read as both a response to internal party pressure and an attempt to reshape Britain's international role. By acknowledging activists within Labour and committing to sanctions on settlements, the government is signalling a tangible policy shift aimed at addressing long-standing concerns raised by campaigners and party members about the plight of Palestinians.