In this case, you can read more about: The USA is a close ally of Israel, and has been more cautious than other countries in criticizing the war in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank. That is why it is symbolic when the US now cracks down on how extreme Israeli settlers in the West Bank have treated Palestinians, especially after the war broke out. President Joe Biden signed an order on Thursday that gives the country the opportunity to sanction Israeli settlers who have exercised violence against Palestinians. On the same day, the US sanctioned four Israelis. They are said to have participated in raids on Palestinian homes, harassed Palestinian farmers and an Israeli activist, and threatened Palestinians and Bedouins with violence if they did not leave their homes. The sanctions mean that they now do not have access to American properties or the American banking system. – It is to promote peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians, says security adviser for the White House, Jake Sullivan. This is a continuation of the entry ban from December. Then the USA introduced a visa ban on extreme Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians. Minister for National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has requested that Israel encourage Palestinians to “voluntarily migrate”. Photo: RONEN ZVULUN / Reuters The West Bank is part of the Palestinian territories. It borders Israel to the south, west and north, and Jordan to the east. But Israeli authorities have since 1967 built more and more housing in the occupied area, both in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The area is referred to by the UN as Israeli-occupied territory, hence the name “the occupied West Breidda”. According to the UN, the settlements are in violation of international law. “Busetnader gives security and victory” On Sunday, busetjars organized a large conference, in which 12 ministers from the Israeli government participated. Both the national security adviser Itamar Ben-Gvir and the finance minister Betzalel Smotrich, according to Al Jazeera. Here they discussed creating settlements also in the Gaza Strip, and encouraged to “remove Palestinians from Gaza”. The campaign was called “Busetnader gives security and victory”. In June, Israel’s government approved 5,000 new residential permits. At the latest in December, they approved the new 1,700, according to the organization Peace Now. At the settlement conference, a map of what settlement areas on the Gaza Strip might look like was shown. Photo: Ronen Zvulun / Reuters Dramatic increase in violence Violence against Palestinians inflicted by Israeli settlers has increased dramatically since the war broke out in October. According to the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din, 2023 was the most violent year against Palestinians in the West Bank ever, according to the Times of Israel. In December, the UN reported that over 300 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank. This includes 79 children. 291 were killed by Israeli forces, eight by settlers. From October to December last year, 343 violent attacks were reported in the area, and that 1,026 Palestinians have had to flee their homes, according to UNRWA. Amnesty has also documented a drastic increase in “severe mistreatment and deliberate humiliation” of Palestinians who are arrested in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem. Concern from several parties In December, several western countries, including Norway, urged Israel to introduce measures against the “record-high fence” on the occupied West Bank. In the joint statement, the countries condemned the violence carried out by what they call extremist Israeli settlers who “terrorize” Palestinian communities. The UN has also expressed great concern about the increased violence against Palestinians.
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The US sanctions Israeli settlers – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
