DUBAI: United States has decided to impose visa bans on Israeli extremist settlers involved in violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank.
A senior State Department official revealed that during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken communicated the impending visa bans. The Biden administration takes this decision after surge in violence against Palestinians particularly West Bank.
The West Bank, a region crucial to Palestinian statehood aspirations, has witnessed a surge in violence in recent months, fueled by the expansion of Jewish settlements and a nearly decade-long impasse in US-sponsored peacemaking.
The situation escalated further after Israel engaged in a new conflict in Gaza by restoring indiscriminate airstrikes and ground offensive in response to the Hamas attempt to liberate its territories from occupied forces on Oct. 7.
The Biden administration has repeatedly expressed its concern about the escalating violence in the West Bank. President Joe Biden, in a Nov. 18 Washington Post opinion piece, warned of potential action against the perpetrators, emphasizing the need to hold them accountable.
The State Department official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, noted that while the US prefers Israel to prosecute the individuals responsible, no such steps have been observed yet. The anticipated visa bans could be implemented in the coming weeks, according to the official.
