Biden sanctions 4 people for Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in occupied West Bank

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden signed a new executive order Thursday authorizing sanctions against Israeli settlers who have been attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, as well as blacklisting four individuals.

The actions come as settler violence targeting Palestinians across the West Bank has escalated dramatically for months amid Israel's war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

The dramatic increase in settler violence in the West Bank has prompted growing pressure from some of Biden's most vocal Democratic allies to take action to rein it in.

The authorities being rolled out bar the individuals from accessing the US financial system, freezing any property already subject to US jurisdiction, and bans them from US entry, two senior Biden administration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. US nationals are also generally prohibited from doing business with them.

The officials confirmed that four people are being sanctioned for various activities, including engaging in violence against Palestinians, intimidation, property destruction, forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, and threatening Bedouin communities.

The sanctions are intended to address "actions that undermine peace, stability, security and stability in the West Bank," one of the officials said.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan directed Cabinet officials to policy options for perpetrators of the violence, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in December visa sanctions against those determined to have been committing acts of violence.

One of the officials confirmed that the Biden administration has notified senior Israeli officials about the actions. He denied reports that the US is considering sanctions for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich or National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – two firebrand far-right politicians who have been at the forefront of the settler movement.