US imposes sanctions on 'extremist' Israeli settler group

Violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has exploded since the start of the Israel-Hamas war

The aftermath of an attack by Israeli settlers on the village of Jit in the occupied West Bank that left a 23-year-old man dead. AFP

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The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Hilltop Youth, a “violent extremist group” of settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank who attack Palestinians and their property. “Hilltop Youth has conducted a campaign of violence against Palestinians, engaging in killings, arson, assaults, and intimidation intended to drive Palestinian communities out of the West Bank,” the US Treasury said on Tuesday.

In addition, the State Department placed diplomatic sanctions on two men: Israeli settler Eitan Yardeni, for his connection to violence targeting West Bank civilians; and Avichai Suissa, the leader of Hashomer Yosh, a sanctioned group that brings young volunteers to settler farms across the territory, including small farming outposts that rights groups say are the primary drivers of settler violence across the territory.

Among other incidents, the Treasury cited an April 2024 attack on the Palestinian town of Al Mughayyir, where Hilltop Youth “set fire to homes, buildings, and vehicles, beat villagers, looted property, including livestock, and left one Palestinian dead". The sanctions, which expose people to asset freezes and travel and visa bans, come amid an explosion of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, following the deadly terrorist attacks of October 7.

Palestinians report verbal and physical harassment, restriction of movement and intimidation by settlers circling their properties on motorbikes, cars or horses, and spying via drones. The Biden administration has been criticised for imposing relatively few sanctions on Israeli extremists.

According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, 27 extremists and entities have been sanctioned by the US under President Joe Biden’s February 2024 Executive Order related to maintaining West Bank stability. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said “the actions of these individuals have contributed to creating an environment where violence and instability thrive. Their actions, collectively and individually, undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank.”