Several European countries are preparing coordinated sanctions

European diplomatic officials said on the 6th that France is cooperating with several other European countries to develop coordinated national-level measures to sanction Jewish settlers involved in violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, further pressuring Israel.

Three unnamed European diplomats told Reuters that the sanctions are expected to be announced in the coming days and will include asset freezes and travel bans. The plan has not yet been finalized, and the lists of individuals to be sanctioned may differ between countries.

The diplomats said that due to setbacks in EU-level efforts to take stronger measures against Israel, some countries believe that coordinated national-level sanctions are the best option at this stage.

One diplomat revealed that Britain and Norway are participating in the coordinated action initiated by France, and it is unclear which other countries will join. The British Foreign Office declined to comment on the report, and the Norwegian Foreign Ministry has not yet responded.

According to Reuters, most countries are reluctant to publicly discuss unilateral sanctions to prevent those targeted from transferring assets in advance.

Recently, violence involving Jewish settlers in the West Bank has escalated. A UN report indicates that as of May 2026, over 800 attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinians have been recorded, affecting more than 220 communities and causing casualties and property damage.

On May 22, the leaders of Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany issued a joint statement urging the Israeli government to immediately halt settlement expansion in the West Bank and strongly condemning the escalating violence by settlers.