Biden's order targets Jewish settler violence in West Bank, Netanyahu reacts
Israeli troops
United States President Joe Biden on Thursday (Feb 1) announced that Washington will place sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, an executive order revealed.
In the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which started after the October 7 attacks by Hamas militant, hundreds of Palestinians have lost their lives to security forces and settlers across the occupied West Bank.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Biden's directive creates a procedure for imposing financial sanctions and visa restrictions on those who are proven to have harmed found to have attacked or intimidated Palestinians or seized their property.
The data was released by the United Nations, which notes that the violence is separate from Israel's military assault on Gaza, where the death toll is approaching 27,000 Palestinians, as per local health officials.
Biden wrote a note to Congress stating that the actions by Israeli settler extremists "constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States". He also declared a national emergency to address it.
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The order read, "Joseph R Biden Jr, President of the United States of America, find that the situation in the West Bank – in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction – has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region."
"These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom. They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests," it added.
Also read:Humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza
No room for US sanctions
On Thursday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was "no room" for US sanctions on settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"Israel acts against all lawbreakers everywhere, so there is no room for exceptional measures in this regard," said a statement by Netanyahu's office.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)