New US sanctions expected against two West Bank settler outposts

The Biden Administration is expected to impose new sanctions on two illegal outposts in the occupied West Bank that were used as a base for attacks by "extremist" Israeli settlers against Palestinians, Axios reported late on Wednesday, citing three US officials.

The sanctions, expected to be imposed as soon as Thursday, are intended to send a message that the US is not only targeting individuals but also entities involved in providing logistical and financial support to attacks against Palestinians, Axios said, citing one US official.

New sanctions will also be imposed on three Israeli settlers, the US officials told Axios.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Axios report.

The Biden administration in February had imposed sanctions on four Israeli men it accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank, signalling growing US displeasure with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The administration also said in February that Israel's expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank was inconsistent with international law, signalling a return to long-standing US policy on the issue that the previous administration of Donald Trump had reversed.

Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal.

Israel has stepped up raids in the West Bank since Israel's latest war on Gaza broke out on 7 October. United Nations records show at least 358 people in the Palestinian territory have been killed since, a quarter being children.

The Israeli army has intensified its deadly raids in the occupied West Bank since the start of Gaza's war, killing since then more than 420 Palestinians and arresting thousands.https://t.co/e4op9zDQXb

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) March 12, 2024

In Gaza, Israeli forces have killed over 31,000 Palestinians since 7 October, injuring over 73,000 -- the majority civilians.

(Reuters)