US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to speak with Israel, Britain, France and Canada to better understand their decision to impose sanctions targeting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

Asked by a reporter whether Washington opposes the sanctions, Trump stopped short of giving a direct answer. “I’ll be speaking to Israel, I’ll be speaking to them, and I’ll find out what’s their thinking. I understand exactly what’s going on but I want to find out why, all of a sudden, has that happened."

Trump's remarks came one day after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced new measures against Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, saying London was adopting a “new approach" that would “not only call out injustice and suffering, but act."

“For a long time, the British government has said such settlements are illegal," Miliband said. “Today I announce the official view of the British government is that the occupation is unlawful."

Britain announced plans to prohibit trade in goods produced in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. France and Canada made the announcement jointly with Britain and said they would also “bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods."

Israel responded with a series of measures announced by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Jerusalem will close the British Consulate in Jerusalem, remove British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat and end British training activities for Palestinian Authority forces in Judea and Samaria through the “British Support Team in Ramallah."

Israel will also bar 12 British elected officials and other British nationals from entering the country over what it described as antisemitic and anti-Israel activity or denial of Israel's existence.

“Unfortunately, a hostile Labour Government is in office, systematically acting against the State of Israel, and it has left us with no choice but to finally respond to its hostile actions," Sa’ar stated.

The sanctions had reportedly been described to the Trump administration as largely symbolic before their announcement. Bloomberg reported that British diplomats privately assured US officials that the measures would not have a significant impact on Britain's wider trade or security relationship with Israel.

According to the report, British officials also sought to reassure the Trump administration that the sanctions against the Israeli communities would not materially alter Britain's broader ties with Israel.