The British Foreign Office said in a statement that illegal settler violence in the West Bank has increased to unprecedented levels.
In the statement, it was stated that with the decision taken today, travel and visa bans and property freezes will be imposed on 4 names, and it was emphasized that the people in question made attempts to increase tensions such as threats with weapons, attacks to displace Palestinians, and destruction of property.
“Israel’s failure to act has led to an environment of almost complete impunity for extremist settlers in the West Bank,” the statement said.
– “A source of systematic threat and violence”
The statement also included details about the individuals against whom sanctions were imposed. In this context, it was stated that Moshe Sharvit attacked and threatened Palestinian shepherds and their families in the Jordan Valley.
It was also reported that 20 Palestinian families fled their homes in October 2023 as a result of Sharvit’s threats to “leave within 5 hours”.
Yinon Levy is the leader of the illegal Jewish settler group “Meitarim Farm”, where settlers carry out attacks against the Palestinian population in the area.
It was stated that the illegal settlement group “Zvi’s Farm”, founded in 2018 by a settler named Zvi Bar Yosef, has repeatedly threatened Palestinians, two of them with weapons, and that the group is characterized by local Palestinians as “a source of systematic threat and violence”.
It was also reported that the settler named Ely Federman, against whom a sanction decision was taken, attacked several Palestinian shepherds.
– “We often see that commitments are made but not fulfilled”
“The sanctions announced today place restrictions on those involved in some of the most egregious human rights abuses. We must be clear about what is happening. Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off their rightful land.”
Pointing out that threats and forced displacement are illegal and unacceptable, Cameron said, “Israel needs to take stronger steps and end settler violence. We often see that commitments are made but not fulfilled.”
Cameron stated that the targeting of Palestinian civilians by extremist illegal Jewish settlers threatens the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.
The statement noted that the UK has repeatedly warned the Israeli government about settler violence and illegal settlements and called for the return of frozen Palestinian property to its owners.
“The UK will continue to work with allies and partners, particularly those in the region, to find a sustainable ceasefire and a path to lasting peace,” the statement said, reminding that the UK decided to impose sanctions on extremist illegal Jewish settlers last December.
