US imposes new sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers

The US imposed a new batch of sanctions on Friday against extremist Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Ben Zion Gopstein, the founder and leader of Lehava, was designated by the State Department. “Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,” the State Department said.

The Treasury Department also designated the Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich for their roles in establishing fundraising campaigns on behalf of two US designated-extremists who engaged in violent activities, Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai, respectively.

The State Department said it was deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in the West Bank in recent days and called on Israel to take all appropriate measures to prevent attacks by violent extremist settlers and hold those responsible accountable. “The United States will not hesitate to take additional steps to promote accountability if necessary,” State Department Spokesman Matt Miller said.

Over the weekend, hundreds of armed Jewish settlers raided Palestinian villages near the city of Ramallah, blocking roads, setting houses and cars ablaze, and firing at civilians, medics and civilians said.

Israeli authorities said the escalation began after a 14-year-old Israeli went missing in the West Bank. His body was discovered on Saturday in what Israel said was a suspected militant attack.

Violence in the West Bank was already on the rise before Israel’s assault on Gaza, which was triggered by an Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. It has escalated since, with stepped-up Israeli military raids, settler violence and Palestinian street attacks.

In addition to more than 33,000 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, according to authorities, the Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 466 people in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, among them armed fighters.

In the same period, at least 13 Israelis, including two members of Israel’s security forces, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an Israeli tally.

Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories Israel occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Most countries view Israeli settlements on occupied land as illegal, a view that Israel disputes.