EU Approves Sanctions on Violent West Bank Settlers and Hamas Leaders
EU Sanctions: Details, Reactions, and Implications
Background and Agreement
BRUSSELS, May 11 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers reached an agreement on Monday on new sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, as well as leading Hamas figures, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
Sanctions Package and Previous Blockade
Targets of the Sanctions
The sanctions package, which targets three settlers and four settler organisations whose identities have yet to be publicly disclosed, had been blocked for months by the previous Hungarian government which lost an election last month.
Concerns Over Settler Violence
European governments have raised concern about a rise in reports of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Official Statements and Reactions
EU Foreign Policy Chief's Statement
"It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery," Kallas said in a post on X. "Extremisms and violence carry consequences," she added.
Israeli Government Response
Foreign Minister's Criticism
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X the EU had "chosen, in an arbitrary and political manner, to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities because of their political views and without any basis."
Condemnation of EU Comparison
"Equally outrageous is the unacceptable comparison the European Union has chosen to make between Israeli citizens and Hamas terrorists. This is a completely distorted moral equivalence," he added.
Response from Hamas
There was no immediate response from Hamas.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Lili BayerEditing by Inti Landauro and Peter Graff)
