Politics USA imposes further sanctions against Israeli settlers
The US government is imposing further sanctions against individuals and institutions associated with the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. According to the US State Department, the individuals concerned have been involved in violence against Palestinian civilians, have unlawfully "confiscated" their land and threaten "peace, stability and security in the West Bank".
11.07.2024, 18:17
SDA
Specifically, the measures are directed against three individuals, four outposts set up by extremist settlers in the West Bank and the radical right-wing Jewish group Lehava.
The US had previously sanctioned Lehava founder Ben-Zion Gopstein, who is considered a close confidant of radical Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. According to the US, two of the individuals now sanctioned are leaders of the radical Israeli group Tzav 9, whose members are accused of blocking aid deliveries for the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
As a result of the sanctions, any assets of those affected are blocked in the USA. US citizens or people who are in the United States are prohibited from doing business with the sanctioned organizations and individuals. Banks that do business with them may also face sanctions.
During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, among other territories. The number of settlers in the West Bank, which lies between the Israeli heartland and Jordan, has now risen to around half a million. Including East Jerusalem, the figure is as high as 700,000.
In 2016, the UN Security Council described these settlements as a violation of international law and called on Israel to stop all settlement activities. Israel's right-wing religious leadership is nevertheless pressing ahead with the expansion of settlements.
