The United States announced on Wednesday new visa restrictions targeting Israelis who have committed violations in the occupied West Bank, urging Israel to make greater efforts to hold those responsible for acts of violence accountable.
Speaking about the new restrictions, which prevent the targeted individuals and their relatives from traveling to the United States, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told the press that “this relates to a broad trend of increasing violence we have unfortunately seen over the past few months, and the need for Israel to make more efforts to hold people accountable for their actions.”
Miller noted that “the Israeli government has taken some steps to curb settler violence in the West Bank,” but added that “these measures were not sufficient,” according to the French Press Agency.
The restrictions announced on Wednesday specifically involve the former Israeli army soldier Elor Azaria, who served a nine-month prison sentence after being convicted of killing a wounded Palestinian attacker in 2016.
Other individuals are also targeted, but their identities have not been disclosed as U.S. law prohibits publishing their names, depending on the circumstances.
Since the war in Gaza began following an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israeli territories on October 7, acts of violence in the West Bank have increased.
The United States had previously imposed a series of financial sanctions on more than twenty individuals or entities accused of committing acts of violence against Palestinian civilians and imposed visa restrictions on dozens of people.
In response to a question about their effectiveness, the spokesperson said that Israeli officials have complained to Washington about this sanctions policy, which he emphasized is partly intended to pressure Israel.
