EU Targets Israeli Figures Over Rights Violations

The European Union announced on Monday that it has imposed sanctions on five individuals and three entities in Israel, citing their involvement in "serious and systematic human rights violations" against Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Among those sanctioned is the "Tzav 9" group, which the EU accuses of regularly blocking humanitarian aid trucks carrying food, water, and fuel to the Gaza Strip. Also listed is Ben-Zion Gopstein, the founder and leader of the Lahav organization, and Issachar Mann, identified by the EU as the founder of an unauthorized settlement site in the occupied West Bank.

The United States has previously sanctioned both individuals and the Tzav 9 group. Last week, Washington described Tzav 9 as opposing the integration of Jews with non-Jews and inciting against Arabs in the name of religion and national security. The individuals and entities targeted by the sanctions have not yet commented on the matter.

The EU sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans to EU countries, as part of the EU's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. Today's list included 113 individuals and 31 entities from various countries under this regime.