European Union foreign ministers have agreed to impose new sanctions on Israeli settlers and organizations linked to violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, marking a significant shift in EU policy after months of political deadlock.
The agreement was announced by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who stressed that the bloc was moving from discussion to action in response to rising extremism and violence.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that the sanctions target key Israeli groups and individuals accused of supporting extremist settlement activity in the West Bank.
EU officials said the measures became possible after political changes in Hungary ended previous opposition that had blocked the sanctions package for months.
The sanctions are expected to affect seven settlers or settlement-linked organizations. The EU also approved separate sanctions against representatives linked to Hamas.
Israeli officials strongly condemned the move, arguing that the sanctions unfairly target Israeli citizens and settlement supporters.
The decision comes amid escalating violence and rapid settlement expansion across the occupied West Bank, where more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements considered illegal under international law by the United Nations.
According to UN data, Israeli settlement expansion in 2025 has reached its highest recorded level since at least 2017.
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