EU Expected to Approve Long-Stalled Sanctions on Israeli Settlers
The proposed measures, crafted in response to escalating violence and continued settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had been held up under former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.
A diplomatic logjam that dragged on for months may finally be breaking: the European Union was poised to approve new sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians, with a change of government in Hungary removing a key obstacle.
“I expect political agreement on the sanctions on violent settlers, hopefully we will get there,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
The proposed measures, crafted in response to escalating violence and continued settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had been held up under former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.
Now, Hungary’s new nationalist leader Peter Magyar appears to have cleared the path for that veto to be dropped.
The occupied West Bank has seen near-daily unrest since the Gaza war began in October 2023, with violence involving both Israeli troops and settlers.
Palestinian officials and the United Nations have said deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have intensified since the start of the Iran war on 28 February.
Even as the EU advances the sanctions effort targeting Israeli settlers, member states still have not reached agreement on broader action against Israel, including measures such as limiting trade ties.