Palestine hails EU sanctions on Israeli settlers over West Bank violence

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin on Monday welcomed the European Union's decision to impose sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers and organizations involved in violence and illegal settlement activities in the occupied West Bank, calling the move an important step toward accountability.

EU imposes new sanctions

The European Union's foreign ministers agreed on the measures during a meeting on Monday, targeting Israeli settlers and organizations accused of supporting illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. The sanctions come amid mounting international pressure to address violence in the territory.

Ramallah welcomes move

Aghabekian Shahin described the decision as "an important step toward accountability and upholding international law" in a post on the US social media platform X. She called for further concrete measures to address Israeli settlement activity and ongoing attacks against Palestinians, urging Brussels to maintain pressure on the occupation authorities.

Death toll rises

The occupied West Bank has witnessed escalating violence since Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, including killings, arbitrary arrests, home demolitions and settlement expansion. At least 1,155 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since the war began, with approximately 11,750 injured and nearly 22,000 arrested, according to official Palestinian figures.