The decision comes as violence continues to increase in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, two territories occupied by Israel. The European Union imposed sanctions this Friday on four Israeli settlers and two groups of “extremist” Israeli activists for violence committed against Palestinians in these places.
These sanctioned individuals and entities “are responsible for serious human rights violations against Palestinians,” said the Council of the EU, the institution that represents the 27 member states. These violations include “acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as the violation of the right to property and the right to private and family life of Palestinians in the West Bank,” the Council explained in a statement. .
Similar measures in the United States and the United Kingdom
The sanctions include asset freezing and visa bans. The EU has blacklisted two organizations, Lehava and Hilltop Youth. The four sanctioned individuals are Meir Ettinger and Elisha Yered, leaders of the Hilltop Youth group, as well as settlers Neria Ben Pazi and Yinon Levi.
The EU’s decision to target violent settlers in the West Bank comes two months after similar moves by the US and UK. The United States, for its part, announced on Friday that it would add Ben-Zion Gopstein, the founder and head of Lehava, to its own sanctions list.
Outbreak of violence
The West Bank, illegally occupied by Israel since 1967, has experienced an outbreak of violence since the beginning of last year, particularly since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in the Gaza Strip.
According to official Palestinian sources, at least 468 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since October 7.