LONDON: Britain and other international allies are set to formally sanction two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, in response to the genocide in Gaza, the Times reported on Tuesday.

London will join Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other nations in freezing the assets and imposing travel bans on Israel's national security minister Ben-Gvir and finance minister Smotrich - both of whom are West Bank settlers. Britain's foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. 

A decision by Britain to sanction two Israeli ministers is "outrageous", Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the decision was 'outrageous', telling reporters that the government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the "unacceptable decision".

Britain, like other European countries, has been ramping up the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to end the blockade on aid into Gaza, where international experts have warned that famine is imminent.

London last month suspended free trade talks with Israel for pursuing "egregious policies" in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, summoned its ambassador, and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers.

Foreign minister David Lammy, who called Israel's recent offensive "a dark new phase in this conflict," has previously condemned comments by Smotrich on the possible cleansing and destruction of Gaza and relocation of its residents to third countries. - Reuters