For first time, Japan sanctions four Israeli settlers over acts of violence against Palestinians in West Bank

Japan has sanctioned four Israeli settlers over acts of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the government's top spokesperson says.

Noting that violent acts by Israeli settlers in the West Bank have increased dramatically since October 2023, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday his country decided to impose asset-freeze sanctions on the four Israeli settlers involved in violent acts.

“Such acts as violence, threats and destruction of property by some extremists against Palestinian communities and others have become a serious problem, as they frequently kill or injure Palestinian residents or force them to leave their homes,” Hayashi said at a press conference.

He added that the move comes in light of measures taken by the G7 countries and others.

"Japan will steadily implement these asset freezing measures" and continue to strongly urge Israel to "completely freeze settlement activities in cooperation with the international community, including the G7," he said.

This is the first time that Japan has imposed sanctions against Israeli settlers.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in over 270 settlements and outposts built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.

While all Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, the occupying regime has stepped up settlement expansion in blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The Japanese move came in the wake of a ruling by the United Nations’ top court on Israel’s presence in the 1967-occupied Palestinian territories.

On Friday, the International Court of Justice said “Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful,” adding that the regime “is under an obligation” to end it “as rapidly as possible.”

The advisory opinion also urged all states and international organizations, including the United Nations, “not to recognize as legal” the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in occupied Palestinian territory.

UN’s top court says Israel's presence in Palestinian territories ‘illegal’

The United Nations’ top court has ruled that Israel’s presence in the 1967-occupied Palestinian territories is “unlawful” and must end.

Israel’s allies, namely Britain, the United States and Canada have also sanctioned some Israeli settlers in response to heightening violence in the West Bank amid Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 39,006 Palestinians and injured over 89,818. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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