There are indications that the United States may impose sanctions on members of the Israeli military and politicians for their failure to control settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli media reported this on Saturday, citing a memorandum from the Israeli foreign affairs ministry. According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan), the US is preparing to sanction Israeli soldiers, officers, as well as lawmakers and ministers due to their inability to address settler violence adequately.
Israel is said to be taking these threats of sanctions seriously and is expected to provide Washington with a satisfactory explanation for reported human rights violations in the West Bank within the next 60 days. Israeli officials are anticipated to discuss the matter in the upcoming week.
Israeli Military (Credits: Vox)
The administration of President Joe Biden has consistently warned Israel about the rising violence faced by Palestinians in the West Bank, perpetrated by extremist Jewish Israeli settlers.
Despite these warnings, the US recently imposed sanctions on four Israelis accused of involvement in violence in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Since the commencement of the Gaza war on October 7, more than 300 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank. The United Kingdom, the European Union, and over a dozen partner countries, including Australia and Canada, have called on Israel to take immediate and concrete measures to address settler violence in the West Bank.
The region was illegally annexed by Israel in 1967, and it currently houses nearly half a million settlers. All settlements in the occupied territory are considered illegal under international law.
