EU approves new sanctions against Israeli settlers over violence in West Bank

The European Union has agreed to impose new sanctions against Israeli settlers over the increasing violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

European Union foreign ministers, who gathered in Brussels for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, also approved a new round of sanctions against Israeli organizations supporting illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

“It's done! The European Union is sanctioning today the main Israeli organizations guilty of supporting the extremist and violent colonization of the West Bank, as well as their leaders. These most serious and intolerable acts must cease without delay," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on social media platform X.

Barrot said, “The hope that France revived last year in New York, that of two recognized and respected States living side by side in peace and security, we will let no one undermine it."

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also confirmed the decision, saying EU foreign ministers "gave the go-ahead to sanction Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians."

"It was high time we moved from deadlock to delivery. Extremisms and violence carry consequences," Kallas said on X.

The decision sparked outrage from Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar, who called it “arbitrary and political”.

“The European Union has chosen, in an arbitrary and political manner, to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities because of their political views and without any basis,” Sa’ar said in a post on social media platform X. He defied the decision, saying Israel would continue to support the settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Violence by Israeli forces and settlers has escalated across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, when Israel launched the genocidal war against Gaza, including killings, abductions, home demolitions, and settlement expansion.

Since then, at least 1,155 Palestinians have been killed, and about 11,750 others injured, and nearly 22,000 arrested in the occupied West Bank.

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