The Palestinian Authority today welcomed the announcement that sanctions will be imposed against Israeli settlements in the West Bank by several Western countries, considering it an “important step” to hold the Israeli authorities accountable.
© Lusa
08/09/2026
by
Lusa
Afollowing the announcement made by 12 countries, including Portugal, the United Kingdom and France, the Palestinian leadership issued a statement calling for “the rapid transition of these positions into binding measures”.
It's necessary “To ensure that the Israeli Government is responsible for its violations”, defended.
The West Bank has Palestinian autonomy limited to some areas governed by the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmud Abbas.
The sanctions entail introducing national restrictions and supporting European measures limiting trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
In a joint statement issued by the Foreign Ministers, the 12 States – Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom – state that the situation in the West Bank “is rapidly deteriorating in the face of unprecedented levels of colonist violence and expansion of settlements”.
“Today, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom confirm their intention to introduce national restrictions and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements considered illegal under international law, or to actively consider these and other measures in accordance with their national procedures,” states the signatory countries in the joint note.
The 12 states demand that the Israeli Government “stop the expansion of settlements and civil administrative powers immediately”, ensure accountability for the violence of settlers and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.
The joint text acknowledges the “legitimate security interests of Israel” and reiterates the condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, described as “the worst anti-Semitic massacre since the Holocaust.”.
The signatories reaffirm their commitment to the two-state solution, “according to the relevant UN Security Council resolutions”, to enable Israel and a Palestinian state “sovereign, democratic and viable” to live “side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition” within “safe and internationally recognised” borders.
The 12-country communiqué was published almost simultaneously with a statement by the British chief of diplomacy, Ed Miliband, in the British parliament to announce a new comprehensive regime of sanctions, which aims to ban the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and sanction companies and individuals related to the expansion of settlements.
Miliband accused ‘terrorists’ of being responsible for ‘ethnic cleansing of Palestinians’.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, following the Six-Day War, also maintaining the annexation of East Jerusalem, not recognized by the international community.
Side by side with some three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis currently live in settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal by the United Nations in the light of international law.
The colonization policy has been maintained by successive Israeli governments since 1967, but intensified after the formation of the current executive led by Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of 2022, and gained new momentum following the attack of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Violence has intensified in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, with almost daily attacks by settlers and regular raids on Palestinian villages.