EU expected to agree long-stalled sanctions on Israeli settlers: Kallas

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union was expected Monday to agree new sanctions on Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians, the bloc’s top diplomat said, as a change of government in Hungary ends months of blockage.

“I expect political agreement on the sanctions on violent settlers, hopefully we will get there,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.

The move in response to rising violence and settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank had been stalled by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.

But nationalist leader and Israel ally’s ouster by rival Peter Magyar now appears to have paved the way for the veto to be lifted.

EU officials said seven settlers or settler organisations were set to be blacklisted. The bloc was also set to sanction representatives from Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, involving both Israeli troops and settlers.

There has been a surge in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Iran war on February 28, Palestinian officials and the United Nations have said.

While the EU is moving ahead with the sanctions on Israeli settlers, there remains no consensus among the bloc’s member states to take further steps against Israel such as curbing trade ties.