EU weighs new sanctions as West Bank settler violence surges

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament on Tuesday that the bloc is discussing additional measures targeting extremist Israeli settlers, citing record levels of violence and illegal land seizures in the occupied West Bank. Addressing lawmakers in Strasbourg, Kallas said illegal settlement expansion and forced displacement are accelerating alongside attacks by settlers. "On top of three packages of sanctions against extremist settlers, discussions are now ongoing in the (European) Council on possible further designations. Accountability is a prerequisite for reigning in violent settlers," she said.

E1 project condemned

Kallas urged the EU and international partners including the UK to demand an immediate halt to all settlement construction, singling out the planned E1 project in eastern Jerusalem. She stated that the development "seriously threatens the viability of the two-state solution," according to Anadolu Agency.

Gaza conditions and electoral horizon

Turning to the Gaza Strip, Kallas described the humanitarian situation as a "ceasefire in name only," warning that displacement camps face flooding and disease risks as winter approaches. "People are still being killed and wounded," she said. Kallas also pointed to upcoming Israeli elections and Palestinian legislative polls as potential "important turning points," saying Brussels stands ready to assist with the Palestinian vote.