UK sanctions ‘extremist Israeli settlers’ in Occupied West Bank
The Foreign Office has sanctioned “extremist Israeli settlers” in the Occupied West Bank in response to their continued violence.
There has been an unprecedented increase in violence by the Israeli settlers in the region over the past year and the United Nations have recorded more than 1.400 attacks against Palestinians since October last year.
The UK has sanctioned three settler outposts with four organisations who have “supported, incited and promoted violence” against Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli government has been blasted for their “inaction” by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy as they have allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked.”
Lammy added, “Today’s measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights.
“The Israeli government must crack down on settler violence and stop settler expansion on Palestinian land.
“As long as violent extremists remain unaccountable, the UK and the international community will continue to act.”
Lammy said, “When I went to the West Bank earlier this year, on one of my first trips as Foreign Secretary, I met with Palestinians whose communities have suffered horrific violence at the hands of Israeli settlers.
“The inaction of the Israeli government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked. Settlers have shockingly even targeted schools and families with young children.”
These latest measures will “help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights.”
Lord David Cameron, who is Lammy’s predecessor as foreign secretary, told the BBC, “When you look at what they say, they have said things like encouraging people to stop aid convoys going into Gaza, they have encouraged extreme settlers in the West Bank with the appalling things they have been carrying out.”
