In response to Israeli settlers’ “extremist violence” against Palestinian people in the West Bank, Canada on Thursday announced the imposition of fresh penalties on them.
This occurs barely one month after Canada, together with the United States, Britain, France, and the European Union, imposed the first-ever sanctions against settlers.
Seven people and five organizations were named in this round by Ottawa “for their role in facilitating, supporting or financially contributing to acts of violence by Israeli extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians and their property,” according to a statement.
Among them are longtime settler activist Daniella Weiss, founder of Lehava Ben Zion Gopstein, and the Amana group, which promotes and develops colonies and outposts in the West Bank.
According to Ottawa, Israeli violence have led to Palestinian community forced displacement, property and agricultural damage, and fatalities.
One of the penalties is that no business may trade with the settlers or their groups, and they are not permitted to enter Canada.
Since 1967, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which is home to three million Palestinians. Approximately 490,000 Israeli settlers reside there in settlements that are illegal by international law.
Before the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza started on October 7, there had been a sharp increase in violence. It has since risen to levels not seen in the last twenty years or so.
Palestinian officials estimate that since the start of the Gaza conflict, Israeli forces and settlers have killed about 553 Palestinians in the West Bank.
Attacks by Palestinians have killed at least 15 Israelis, including soldiers, in the West Bank over the same period, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
