EU Continuing Talks on Sanctioning Israeli Settlers in West Bank - Spokesperson

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - EU member states are in the process of drawing up sanctions against violent Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the European Union's lead spokesperson for foreign affairs said Friday.

"As the high representative has announced, he has taken work forward on sanctioning the violent extremists settlers under the EU global human rights sanctions regime, and the discussions and the related work among the member states in the Council continues in this regard," Peter Stano told reporters.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in December that he would propose sanctions against Israeli settlers responsible for violence against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, which spiked following the breakout of the Palestine-Israel conflict in October.

❗️Biden has signed an executive order imposing sanctions against Jewish settlers in the West Bank, the White House said. pic.twitter.com/e3YgKiIRHj

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The United States, one of Israel's staunchest backers, said in December that it would deny visas to Israeli settlers who are believed to be involved in "undermining peace, security, or stability in the West Bank." On Thursday, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order that goes beyond the December directive, imposing financial and travel bans on four Israeli citizens accused of violence in the West Bank.