European Union Approves Sanctions On Israeli Settlers And Hamas Leaders In Brussels

The European Union approved new sanctions on Monday on Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and also agreed to impose new sanctions on leading Hamas figures, with the decision reached at a meeting of the 27 foreign ministers in Brussels.

“The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers and leading Hamas figures”

Al Jazeera

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, "It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery," as the package targeted three settlers and four settler organisations whose identities had not yet been publicly disclosed.

Al Jazeera

The sanctions had been blocked for months by Hungary under Viktor Orban, but the measure advanced after Hungary’s new government gave its approval, with Peter Magyar sworn in as Orban’s replacement on Saturday.

The EU’s move came as the West Bank saw a surge in attacks by settlers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, and the BBC said the UN has recorded the rise in violence.

The Arab Weekly reported that the sanctions package had been blocked by the previous Hungarian government, which lost an election last month, and that EU foreign ministers reached an agreement on Monday on new sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers and leading Hamas figures.

Israel condemned the EU decision, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar saying it was "arbitrary and political" and that Israel would continue to "stand for the right of Jews to settle in the heart of our homeland."

In response to the sanctions, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir denounced the EU as "anti-Semitic" and said the EU was "trying to tie the hands of those who defend themselves."

BBC

Hamas also criticized the EU move, with senior Hamas official Basem Naim telling Reuters, "It equates a fascist executioner who boasts of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing, a rogue state that violates every international law, with the victim who defends itself according to all laws and statutes," as the EU moved ahead with sanctions on Israeli settlers.

The NPR report said the EU unanimously agreed to impose new sanctions on the leaders of Hamas and the Israeli settler movement, but stopped short of endorsing stronger economic measures against the Israeli government sought by some in Europe.

The Times of Israel said the Monday approval was only a political move at that point, with technical and legal work still required before sanctions are officially imposed by the EU executive.

While the EU moved forward with sanctions on Israeli settlers, the TRT World report said Germany and Italy pushed back against calls to suspend the European Union’s cooperation agreement with Israel, and Kaja Kallas later confirmed there was no support to suspend the agreement either fully or partially.

“European Union approves sanctions on Israeli settlers over violence in West Bank Hungary's lifted veto clears the way for travel bans and asset freezes targeting three settlers and four organizations tied to attacks on Palestinians”

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TRT World said suspending the full agreement would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states, while a partial suspension would require a qualified majority, but Kallas said, "We didn’t see that today."

The BBC reported that there is still technical and legal work that must be done in the EU before the sanctions are officially imposed, and EU officials said seven settlers or settler organisations would be sanctioned.

The NPR report said the EU still has to settle on which organizations and individuals will be hit with sanctions, and a committee will finalize the draft list after the political agreement in Brussels.

UNICEF said that since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10, 2025, the Gaza Strip situation remained precarious, and it reported that the enclave has been bombed several times, resulting in the deaths of at least 786 people including 204 children.