These are new American sanctions against an Israeli extremist group, accused of obstructing the distribution of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The State Department now designates Tsav 9 as a violent extremist Israeli group that blocks, harasses and damages convoys carrying vital humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza “.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Michael Paul
The US State Department recalls that “ For months, members of this Israeli activist group have repeatedly sought to thwart the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, in particular by blocking roads, sometimes violently, between Jordan and Gaza. They also damaged trucks and spilled vital humanitarian aid they contained onto the road. The most serious incident took place on May 13, when they looted and burned two trucks near Hebron, in the West Bank. “.
The US measure has the effect of freezing the group’s assets under an executive order on violence in the West Bank issued by President Biden in February. Individual members of the group have not been hit with sanctions at this stage. Any contact with these individuals is now prohibited for American nationals. These sanctions are in addition to others adopted by Washington against particularly violent settlers.
Last February, France on its side sanctioned 28 Israeli settlers guilty of “ violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank » without naming them. Paris has closed its borders to these individuals, but without going so far as to freeze their possible assets on its territory.
Read alsoEU sanctions Israeli settlers for ‘serious human rights violations’ in West Bank