Trump lifts sanctions on Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank

US President Donald Trump has rescinded sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals linked to violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the White House.

Trump’s decision, announced on the new White House website, reverses Executive Order 14115, issued on 1 February 2024, which authorized sanctions on individuals deemed to be undermining peace and stability in the region.

This move represents a significant policy shift from the Biden administration, which had sanctioned a number of Israeli settlers, freezing their US assets and prohibiting American individuals and entities from engaging with them. These sanctions were imposed after repeated calls from the US for Israel to hold extremists accountable for actions hindering prospects for a two-state solution.

The move comes as tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians have intensified in the West Bank, with growing violence and land confiscations drawing increasing international concern, particularly from Israel’s Western allies.

Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Israel has maintained control over the West Bank, a territory that Palestinians seek as part of a future independent state. The Israeli government has constructed Jewish settlements in the area, which most international bodies consider illegal, though Israel disputes this claim, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.

Trump’s stance on settlements diverged from that of his predecessor. In 2019, he abandoned the longstanding US position that Israeli settlements were illegal, a stance which was later reinstated under Biden.

Earlier in October, Israel Gantz, head of the influential Yesha settler council and a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, predicted that the sanctions would be lifted should Trump return to office.

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