Twelve Nations Sanction Israeli Settlements Amid Escalating Violence

Twelve countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and France, announced on Tuesday that they would impose sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This action comes in response to a surge in violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the occupied territory.

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden have also committed to restricting trade with these settlements, according to a joint statement released by the nations’ foreign ministers.

Twelve Nations Act

Ireland and Spain have already implemented measures against trade with Israeli settlements. France has advocated for a similar directive from the European Union—Israel’s primary trading partner—but has faced opposition from several member states.

“The Government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-state solution,” the twelve ministers stated, referring to the framework under which an Israeli state and a Palestinian state would coexist peacefully.

“The situation is rapidly deteriorating amid unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion,” they cautioned.

Settlement Trade Halted

“The Government of Israel must immediately cease the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces,” the ministers demanded.

The ministers affirmed that the twelve countries “confirm their intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law, or that they are actively considering these and other measures, in accordance with their national procedures.”

Individual Sanctions

This initiative builds upon months of individual sanctions targeting Israeli settlers rather than trade directly. In May 2026, EU foreign ministers agreed upon a package of sanctions against settlers and settler organizations “guilty of supporting the extremist and violent colonisation of the West Bank,” following the lifting of Hungary’s veto after a change in government in Budapest.

Later that month, the EU’s Council formally added more settlers and organizations to its sanctions list, including the Nachala Settlement Movement and its director, Daniella Weiss, under the bloc’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. This brings the total number of sanctioned individuals and entities to 136 people and 41 groups since 2020.

Tuesday’s announcement signifies a shift from targeting individuals to directly penalizing trade with the settlements. Several EU member states, including Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland, had previously advocated for this measure without success. As recently as this spring, the bloc rejected a proposal to suspend its broader cooperation agreement with Israel.

(With newswires)

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