In response to the ongoing violence, Israeli incursions, and frequent arrests of Palestinians in the West Bank, the administration of US President Joe Biden is expected to unveil new sanctions targeting settlement activities.
US officials announced on Thursday that Washington is poised to introduce new sanctions against two illegal settlement sites in the West Bank, identified as launch points for settler attacks against Palestinians, as reported by Axios.
An American official stated that these sanctions aim to send a clear message that the US will target not only individuals but also entities involved in supporting attacks against Palestinian civilians.
This move marks the first instance of the US imposing sanctions on entire settlement sites rather than individuals.
Previously, the US administration had sanctioned settlers responsible for assaults and attacks on Palestinian civilians and had initiated a visa ban in December for those implicated in West Bank violence.
European countries, notably France, have also sanctioned numerous extremist settlers. This year has been recorded as the deadliest for West Bank residents in at least 15 years, with over 200 Palestinians and 26 Israelis killed, according to the United Nations.
UN figures reveal a surge in daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians, while the Palestinian Authority reports that over 380 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the West Bank since the outbreak of war in Gaza on October 7.
Currently, over 400,000 Israelis reside in settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are deemed illegal under international law, alongside approximately three million Palestinians.
