The United States has issued an order that will punish violence against the civilian population of the West Bank of the Jordan River with sanctions. The State Department has already announced the first round of sanctions against four Israelis who allegedly abused peaceful Palestinians.
CNN writes about it.
According to the new order of the US government, restrictive measures will apply to those accused of committing violence against civilians in the West Bank. They will also be punished for initiating and leading riots, for setting fire to buildings, fields, and vehicles, and generally for property damage.
Under sanctions, American financial assets are blocked and entry to the USA is prohibited. This also affected the four Israelis who abused civilians in the West Bank.
As noted in the State Department, the order is aimed only at foreigners, and it does not apply to Americans. However, some people with American citizenship have already been accused of complicity in the violence.
Although US President Joe Biden has faced criticism from pro-Israel voters over the order, it will help him boost his credibility with Muslim voters.
- Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when militants of the Islamist group launched a massive rocket attack on the southern and central regions of Israel, invaded the countryʼs territory, killed hundreds of civilians and took hostages. Israel responded by launching a counter-terrorist operation and later a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. On January 7, Israel announced that it had completely eliminated the "military structure" of Hamas militants in the northern Gaza Strip. It took three months. The IDF is now focused on eliminating militants in central and southern Gaza.