France has imposed sanctions on dozens of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, accusing them of committing acts of violence against Palestinians. This is one of the largest rounds of penalties levied against Israelis in the West Bank to date. The move follows Britain and U.S. restrictions imposed on four settlers earlier this month.
The French government has banned 28 settlers from entering France or any of its territories and has called on Israel’s government to pursue legal action against them. France considers the West Bank settlements illegal under international law and incompatible with the creation of a Palestinian state, a position held by many nations but disputed by Israel.
Since Oct. 7, when Hamas-led attacks on Israel ignited the war in Gaza, Jewish settlers have raised the tempo of unauthorized moves to expand their footprint on the West Bank, according to a report last month by Peace Now, an Israeli advocacy group.
The settlers’ encroachments have heightened tensions in the West Bank, where violence and Israeli military raids were on the rise even before the war broke out. Palestinian militias have carried out shooting attacks against Israelis, while extremist Israeli settlers have rampaged through Palestinian villages, setting fire to property. The Israeli military has mounted frequent raids that have often turned deadly, arresting thousands.
Britain and the United States have also imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, citing continued settler violence that threatens West Bank stability. Canadian authorities have also announced plans to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers who incite violence in the West Bank.
The governing coalition under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the most right-wing and religiously conservative government in the country’s history, supporting settlement expansion and including extremist settlers who want to annex some or all of the West Bank.