The European Union's 27 foreign ministers approved sanctions on Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians, ending months of Hungarian obstruction.
5:26 PM
The European Union agreed Monday to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers and leading Hamas figures, marking a breakthrough after months of diplomatic deadlock.
The consensus was reached at a meeting of EU member states' foreign ministers in Brussels. The measures target Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a package that had been blocked by Hungary's former premier Viktor Orban.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the agreement represented progress on a long-stalled issue. "Today, we reached a political agreement to sanction Israeli extremists settlers and entities," Kallas told reporters. "We move from political deadlock that was there for a long time. Violence and extremism must carry consequences."
The sanctions will include asset freezes and travel bans for designated individuals. The EU is also examining further measures, including tariffs and bans on products originating from Israeli settlements.
A change in Hungary's government enabled the agreement. Viktor Orban, a close ally of Israel, had consistently opposed sanctions against settlers. He has been succeeded by Prime Minister Peter Magyar, whose government did not maintain the same opposition.
The UN has recorded a surge in attacks by settlers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli settlements, built on Israeli-occupied land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law. Palestinians claim these territories for a future state.
The EU previously sanctioned Israeli settlers in 2024, when it targeted five individuals and three entities for human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Monday's agreement represents an expansion of those measures.
The sanctions package also targets leading Hamas figures, according to officials. Kallas emphasized that the EU is moving from a period of political obstruction to concrete action on the issue.
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