UK, France, and Allies Sanction Seven Entities Over West Bank Settler Violence

The UK, France, Australia, Canada, and Norway have jointly announced sanctions against what they describe as networks facilitating attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This coordinated action aims to hold “extremist settlers accountable” for the documented rise in violence.

France has additionally barred far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who holds significant influence over settlement policies in the West Bank, from entering the country. Israel rejected these “disgraceful measures,” characterising them as political acts disguised as anti-violence initiatives.

Since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, an estimated 160 settlements housing 700,000 Israelis have been established, deemed illegal under international law. Over 3.3 million Palestinians reside in the same territory. United Nations reports indicate 1,835 settler attacks against Palestinians in 2025, resulting in casualties or property damage across approximately 280 communities in the West Bank. These attacks led to at least seven Palestinian deaths and 832 injuries, marking a 130% increase compared to the preceding year.

The joint statement from the participating nations’ foreign ministers asserted that “violent settlers have been able to act with near impunity,” with settlement expansion continuing with the “support and facilitation of the Government of Israel.” It further noted that “in some cases, settler violence takes place under the protection of Israel’s security forces.”

The UK’s Foreign Office confirmed sanctions on six entities and one individual, accused of involvement in “financing, enabling and carrying out settler violence.” These measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and director disqualifications. The sanctioned entities reportedly include an association providing financial aid to settler outposts and a construction company implicated in destroying Palestinian land. The UK has also updated its official guidance to explicitly advise businesses against economic and financial engagement with illegal settlements.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated in the House of Commons that “violent settler groups should not be profiting from the land that they have seized from Palestinians,” adding that Israel’s condemnation of some settler violence “rings hollow when there is scant accountability.”

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot justified the ban on Bezalel Smotrich by citing his active promotion of West Bank annexation, new settlements, and the “re-colonisation of Gaza.” France also barred four settler organisation leaders and 21 “violent settlers.” Norway has likewise prohibited 20 “violent settlers” from entering its territory.

Israel’s foreign ministry denounced the sanctions, framing them as an attempt “to impose a political stance regarding the right of Jews to settle in the Land of Israel” and claiming such “anti-Israeli policies” fuel antisemitism. The Palestinian foreign ministry, conversely, welcomed the joint statement as a rejection of “the occupation’s measures to annex the West Bank.”