EU Agrees Sanctions on Israeli Settlers and Hamas Leaders
Theo Al Jazeera English
The European Union has approved sanctions targeting Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Hamas leaders, after Hungary's new government dropped its veto. The measures aim at three settlers and four organizations for violence against Palestinians, while also penalizing Hamas leaders for the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel condemned the move as politically motivated.
The European Union (EU) approved sanctions packages targeting Israeli settlers and Hamas leaders, reaching consensus at a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday (11 May).
The measures against Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank had been blocked by the Hungarian government for months. However, after new Prime Minister Peter Magyar took office on Saturday (9 May), the veto was quickly lifted.
"It is time for us to move from deadlock to action," the EU's top foreign policy official Kaja Kallas wrote on social media following the agreement. "Extremism and violence must both face consequences."
The sanctions package targets three Israeli settlers and four settler organizations, though their identities have not been publicly disclosed.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed the shift, saying the EU is "sanctioning Israeli entities responsible for supporting extremist occupation and violence in the West Bank." "These serious and intolerable acts must stop immediately," he wrote on social media.
Israel immediately condemned the measures, asserting the view that Jews have the right to settle in the occupied West Bank, despite this violating international law. "The European Union arbitrarily and politically chose to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities because of their political views and without justification," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on social media.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the EU as "anti-Semitic." "Expecting the anti-Semitic union to make an ethical decision is like expecting the sun to rise in the west. While our enemies attack and murder Jews, the European Union is trying to tie the hands of those who defend themselves," Ben Gvir posted on social media.
The French foreign minister also said the foreign ministers decided to sanction leaders of the Hamas group. Hamas participated in the attack on southern Israel from Gaza on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. Barrot called it "the worst anti-Semitic massacre in history since the Shoah," in which 51 French citizens were killed. Hamas has not immediately responded.
Excluding East Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank among about 3 million Palestinians. In 2025, Israeli settlement expansion reached its highest level since at least 2017, when the UN began tracking data. Since Israel launched its genocidal war in Gaza, the West Bank has seen near-daily violence involving Israeli forces and settlers. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, according to the UN.
While the EU is proceeding with sanctions on settlers, there is still no consensus among member states on further steps against Israel, such as restricting trade relations. However, with Hungary no longer blocking, momentum could increase. Foreign ministers meeting in Brussels discussed a ban on products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the European Commission would make a proposal and the bloc would consider whether there is sufficient support.
