EU sanctions ‘extremist’ Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank | Israel-Palestine conflict News
EU Imposes Sanctions on Israeli Settlers for Human Rights Violations
Published May 28, 2026
The European Union has enacted sanctions against three individuals and four entities it identifies as “extremist Israeli settlers,” citing their involvement in serious human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The EU claims these individuals and groups have violated multiple rights, including the rights to physical and mental integrity, privacy, family life, freedom of religion, and education. The sanctions are part of a broader package approved earlier this month aimed at holding both Israeli settlers and Hamas leaders accountable.
Among those sanctioned is the Nachala Settlement Movement, along with its director, Daniella Weiss. The EU asserts that the movement encourages actions leading to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Also listed are Israeli NGO Regavim and its director, Meir Deutsch, accused of advocating for the demolition of Palestinian properties to expand Israeli territorial control, including an EU-funded Palestinian primary school. The Hashomer Yosh NGO and its president, Avichai Suissa, are also facing sanctions for supporting numerous violent outposts and settlements, recruiting armed volunteers, and providing guards involved in violent attacks.
Additionally, the Amana cooperative association of the Gush Emunim settler movement is included in the sanctions for its role in financing and facilitating at least 30 violent outposts and settlements.
With this latest announcement, the EU has sanctioned a total of 136 individuals and 41 entities across various countries under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, which was established in 2020 to address acts such as genocide and crimes against humanity.
The sanctions targeting the Israeli settlers had faced delays due to opposition from Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. However, following the appointment of new Prime Minister Peter Magyar, the veto was lifted earlier this month.
Israel has condemned the EU’s sanctions, asserting that Jews have the right to settle in the West Bank, despite international law prohibiting such actions. In 2025, Israeli settlement expansion reached its highest level since the United Nations began tracking data in 2017.
Since the escalation of conflict in Gaza, the West Bank has experienced a surge in violence, with more than 1,000 Palestinians reported killed in the territory, according to UN figures.
