BRUSSELS: The European Union has formally imposed sanctions on seven Israeli settlers and organisations over alleged violence against Palestinians and settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Council of the European Union said on Thursday that it had added four entities and three individuals to its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, following a political agreement reached at the Foreign Affairs Council earlier this month.
EU foreign ministers had agreed on the measures on May 11, after earlier delays linked to opposition from Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. His departure cleared the way for the veto to be lifted.
The sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes, while EU citizens and companies are also prohibited from providing funds, financial assets, or other economic resources to those listed.
Among those sanctioned is Daniella Weiss, a prominent figure in the Israeli settler movement.
The EU also imposed sanctions on 10 representatives of the Palestinian group Hamas, according to the European Council, which represents the bloc’s 27 member states.
The occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence involving Israeli troops and settlers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
The EU has also come under pressure by Spain and Italy to sanction Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who posted a video showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla forced to their knees with hands bound.
