The European Union has approved sanctions against Israeli West Bank settlers for violence against Palestinians, according to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas — the move comes as violence in the region has surged following the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas in southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people. In 2026. Some 45 Palestinians. Including 11 children, have been killed in the West Bank, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

EU Officials Condemn Violence and Endorse Sanctions

EU Foreign Ministers gave the go-ahead to sanction Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians, Kallas said on Monday on X. She also noted that new sanctions were agreed on leading Hamas figures, though no individuals were named. ‘Extremisms and violence carry consequences,’ she wrote.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added that the EU is sanctioning the main Israeli organizations guilty of supporting the ‘extremist and violent colonization’ of the West Bank, as well as their leaders. ‘These most serious and intolerable acts must cease without delay,’ he said. Barrot also stated that the EU is sanctioning Hamas’ ‘main leaders,’ calling Hamas a ‘terrorist movement that must imperatively be disarmed and excluded from any participation in the future of Palestine.’

Israeli Government Rejects Sanctions as Politicized

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar strongly rejected the decision. ‘Israel firmly rejects the decision to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and organizations,’ he wrote on X. He accused the EU of acting ‘in an arbitrary and political manner,’ imposing sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities ‘because of their political views and without any basis.’

The sanctions target three settlers and four settler organizations, though the identities of the individuals have not yet been disclosed. The EU’s move is part of broader efforts to hold all parties accountable for violence in the region.

Separate Incident in Lebanon Highlights Ongoing Violence

Separately, an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon killed a journalist and injured another on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health and senior military officials. Journalist Amal Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near the town of al-Tayri when the attack struck. Both ran to a nearby house, which later also became a target.

Elsy Moufarrej, head of the Lebanese Journalist Union, said that rescuers were able to retrieve Faraj, who had suffered a head wound. However, when the rescue team returned to retrieve Khalil, Israeli military forces hindered their access by dropping stun grenades and firing live ammunition at the ambulance, according to Moufarrej and senior military officials. Khalil was pronounced dead around four hours after the initial attack.

NDTV reported that Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar announced Khalil’s death on their website. The identities of the two people killed in the initial attack on the car have not been confirmed, according to Lebanese government media.