France has indicated that additional sanctions targeting Israeli settlers may be introduced within days, in response to the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and a rise in settler violence against Palestinians, Foreign Minister Jean‑Noel Barrot said on Sunday.
The European Union issued sanctions late last month against several settlers and groups that support them.
In an interview with Public Senat television and RTL radio, Barrot declined to specify which European countries might take further action. However, referring to the EU’s earlier measures, he noted: “We could go further, and in the coming days, additional sanctions may be imposed.”
His comments come amid intensifying settler attacks in the occupied West Bank and highlight growing frustration in many Western nations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has continued to expand settlements. Diplomats say this expansion is intended to weaken prospects for a future Palestinian state.
