The EU has agreed on new sanctions targeting some of the most extreme illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, alongside measures against Hamas figures, ending months of political deadlock pic.twitter.com/o4bxkjAI9m
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The sanctions package targeting Israeli settlers, which had been stalled for months due to opposition from Hungary, was finally approved following a change in Hungarian leadership. The package targets three Israeli settlers and four settler organizations, though their identities have not yet been publicly disclosed.
“It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery,” stated EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “Extremisms and violence carry consequences.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the EU is “sanctioning the main Israeli organizations guilty of supporting the extremist and violent colonisation of the West Bank,” and that these actions “must cease without delay.”
Israel has condemned the EU’s decision, asserting the right of Jews to settle in the West Bank. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that the EU’s actions were “arbitrary and political,” while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir labeled the EU as “antisemitic.”
In addition to sanctions against Israeli settlers, the EU has also moved to sanction leaders within Hamas, the Palestinian group whose armed wing participated in the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
“It is sanctioning the main leaders of Hamas, responsible for the worst antisemitic massacre in our history since the Shoah,” stated Minister Barrot.
A senior Hamas official criticized the EU’s decision as “political hypocrisy and racism.”
These sanctions come amid a backdrop of increasing violence in the West Bank, where over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict in Gaza. While the EU is proceeding with these measures, discussions are ongoing regarding further steps against Israel, including potential restrictions on trade ties with settlements in the West Bank. The European Commission is expected to propose measures regarding the banning of products from Israeli settlements, with the bloc then deciding if it has enough backing.
