Expected U.S. Sanctions on Settlements in the West Bank for the First Time

U.S. officials revealed today, Thursday, that Washington is expected to impose new sanctions on two illegal settlement sites in the West Bank, which have been the launching points for settler attacks against Palestinians, according to Axios. An American official clarified that these sanctions aim to convey the message that Washington will not only target individuals but also entities that support attacks against Palestinian civilians. This will be the first time U.S. sanctions are imposed on entire settlement sites, rather than individuals. The U.S. administration has previously sanctioned settlers who carried out assaults and attacks against Palestinian civilians. It also began imposing a visa ban in December on individuals involved in acts of violence in the West Bank. European countries, led by France, have also previously imposed sanctions on dozens of extremist settlers.