European move led by France to impose national sanctions on settlers involved in violence in the West Bank

European diplomats revealed French-led efforts to increase pressure on Israel by imposing a package of sanctions targeting individuals involved in acts of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. These steps come amid an escalation in settler attacks, which pose a direct threat to security and stability in the region.

The proposed measures include freezing financial assets and imposing travel bans on individuals listed, with expectations of expanding these lists to include new names in the coming days. This move aims to send a clear message to Benjamin Netanyahu's government about the need to curb settler practices and halt policies that fuel the conflict.

Sources reported that the lack of consensus within EU institutions on taking unified punitive measures prompted countries such as France, Britain, and Norway to coordinate among themselves to impose sanctions at the national level. Observers believe that this approach reflects these countries' desire to overcome diplomatic obstruction within the European bloc.

One diplomat explained that discussions have moved to the sovereign level of each country to ensure rapid implementation and effective impact, noting that an official announcement of these sanctions may be issued soon. These discussions are characterized by secrecy to prevent targets from transferring their financial assets before the decisions come into actual effect.

European concerns primarily focus on major settlement plans, especially the 'E1' project, which aims to build a settlement east of occupied Jerusalem. Diplomats warned that this project would divide the West Bank into two separate parts, thereby definitively undermining the chances of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.

For his part, a French diplomatic source confirmed that Paris has already taken practical steps to confront settlement expansion, stressing that further measures may follow if Israeli escalation continues. France believes that protecting the two-state solution requires firm measures that go beyond mere traditional condemnation statements, which are no longer effective.

In a related context, the French capital is preparing to host an expanded meeting on June 12, bringing together foreign ministers from ten countries and Palestinian and Israeli civil society organizations. The meeting aims to keep the Palestinian issue at the top of the international agenda, especially given the major powers' preoccupation with other regional issues such as tensions in Lebanon and Iran.

This anticipated meeting coincides with the one-year anniversary of the 'New York Declaration,' which outlined a roadmap towards a Palestinian state and resulted in several European countries recognizing the state of Palestine last September. Through these moves, Paris seeks to strengthen the political and diplomatic path that guarantees legitimate Palestinian rights.

In contrast, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar attacked these moves, describing the European sanctions as 'arbitrary and political' and lacking a legal basis. Sa'ar accused the European Union of targeting Israeli citizens based on their political stances, in an attempt to reject the increasing international pressure on his government.

It is worth noting that seven Western countries, including Canada and Australia, along with France and Britain, had directly accused the Israeli government of fueling tension in the West Bank. International discontent with settlement policies is growing, amid warnings that the continuation of the current situation will lead to a comprehensive security explosion that will be difficult to control.

There is no consensus at the EU level, so we moved to national-level discussions to increase pressure.