Australia has imposed sanctions and travel bans on Israeli settlers it accuses of violent crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the sanctions on Thursday, directed at seven Israeli settlers and a hardline settler group known for setting up new illegal outposts.
The group, Hilltop Youth, incites and perpetrates violence against Palestinians, said Wong, while the sanctioned settlers have committed beatings, sexual assault and torture.
“We call on Israel to hold perpetrators of settler violence to account and to cease its ongoing settlement activity, which only inflames tensions and further undermines stability and prospects for a two-state solution,” Wong said in a statement.
The Australian government’s move follows similar actions by its allies the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Japan.
On June 11, the US, a steadfast supporter of Israel, announced a new wave of sanctions against several Israeli settlers and a far-right Israeli nationalist group, Lehava.
“The United States remains deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel’s own security,” US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller said at the time.
“We strongly encourage the government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable.”
Spike in violence
Following Australia’s announcement, Israel’s embassy in Canberra condemned violent acts against Palestinian communities.
“Israel is a state of law and will work to bring the extreme minority involved to justice,” a spokesperson told the Reuters news agency.
Israeli settlers’ violence and military raids in the occupied West Bank have spiked during Israel’s war on Gaza, killing at least 589 Palestinians since October 7, according to Palestinian officials.
Over the same period, at least 17 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in attacks in the territory involving Palestinians, according to official Israeli figures.
Australia considers Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory illegal and an obstacle to peace.
In a landmark ruling on July 19, the International Court of Justice found that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, is illegal and should end as soon as possible.
Settlement expansion has increased sharply since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022. His Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement expansion and himself lives in an Israeli settlement, has promised a “million new settlers”.
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