EU Ministers Agree to Sanction Settlers Engaging in Violence in the West Bank

SadaNews - Four diplomats reported that the foreign ministers of the European Union reached a political agreement on Monday regarding the imposition of new sanctions targeting Israeli settlers who engage in violence in the occupied West Bank, according to Reuters.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell stated earlier today, prior to the meeting of the foreign ministers of the bloc, that they might reach an agreement on sanctions against the settlers, and he said: "I am optimistic that we will reach an agreement.".

Legal and human rights experts noted last month that Israeli soldiers and settlers use gender-based violence, assault, and sexual harassment to force Palestinians to leave their homes in the West Bank.

Palestinian men, women, and children have reported being subjected to sexual assaults, forced nudity, humiliating and painful body searches, and threats of sexual violence.

Researchers from the West Bank Protection Coalition recorded 16 cases of sexual violence related to the conflict over the past three years, a number that is likely to be lower than reality due to the shame and social stigma faced by survivors, according to the British newspaper "The Guardian".

In a report published by the Norwegian Refugee Council, a group of international humanitarian organizations stated: "Sexual violence is used to pressure communities and influence their decisions about remaining in their homes and lands or leaving, and to alter their daily lifestyles.".

A study titled "Sexual Violence and Forced Displacement in the West Bank" details accounts of the rising sexual assaults and humiliation faced by Palestinians in their communities and homes since 2023.