European Union foreign ministers approved new sanctions on Israeli settlers Monday after Hungary’s political shift ended months of diplomatic paralysis.
The decision targeted individuals and organisations accused of supporting violent settlement activity against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had moved “from deadlock to delivery” after prolonged internal disagreements.
She warned that extremism and violence would carry consequences as tensions continue to darken the region’s political horizon.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the sanctions focused on organisations backing what he called extremist and violent colonisation efforts.
Barrot urged an immediate end to the violence, describing recent attacks as intolerable amid deepening instability across the West Bank.
The sanctions package had been delayed under former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of Israel.
Diplomats said Hungary’s new leadership under Peter Magyar cleared the path for the veto to be lifted.
EU officials said seven settlers or settler-linked organisations would be blacklisted alongside representatives connected to Hamas.
Israel sharply condemned the measures, accusing Europe of drawing false equivalence between Israeli citizens and Palestinian militants.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Europe exposed “moral bankruptcy” while Israel confronted militant threats across the region.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called the European Union antisemitic and politically motivated.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar argued the sanctions unfairly targeted Israeli citizens because of their political beliefs.
Violence in the West Bank has intensified since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, leaving the territory trapped in daily unrest.
EU ministers also discussed possible restrictions on products from Israeli settlements, though member states remain divided on broader measures.