PARIS: France is working with several allied countries on coordinated national sanctions targeting individuals linked to violence in the occupied West Bank, as frustration grows over Israeli settlement expansion and escalating tensions in the territory.
According to Reuters, the proposed measures could include asset freezes and travel bans on individuals accused of involvement in violence in the West Bank. Diplomats said discussions are ongoing and final decisions are expected in the coming days.
The move comes as efforts to adopt tougher measures at the European Union level have stalled due to a lack of consensus among member states. Diplomats said several countries have therefore shifted their focus to coordinated national actions.
“There is no unanimity at the European Union level, so we have moved to discussions at the national level,” one diplomat told the media.
Diplomatic sources said Britain and Norway are among the countries involved in discussions with France, although the full list of participants has not yet been confirmed.
Western governments have increasingly expressed concern over violence by Israeli settlers and the continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank. Several countries argue that settlement growth undermines prospects for a future Palestinian state.
A particular concern is Israel’s proposed E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem, which critics say would further fragment Palestinian territory and complicate efforts to achieve a two-state solution.
The diplomatic push comes ahead of a meeting scheduled for June 12 in Paris, where France will host Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups along with around a dozen foreign ministers.
French officials say the gathering is intended to keep international attention focused on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and support efforts aimed at advancing a political solution.
