Britain and four other nations on Tuesday imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway joined Britain in freezing the assets and imposing travel bans on Israel’s national security minister Mr Ben-Gvir – a West Bank settler – and finance minister Mr Smotrich.
“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable,” British foreign minister David Lammy, along with the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway said in a joint statement.
“This is why we have taken action now to hold those responsible to account,” the statement said.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said that the sanctions included targeted financial restrictions and travel bans.
Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, said the move was “outrageous” and the Israeli government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the “unacceptable decision”.
Mr Smotrich, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in the Hebron Hills, spoke of “contempt” for Britain’s move.
“Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again. We are determined God willing to continue building.”
Last month, the leaders of Britain, France and Canada put pressure on Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government to end the blockade on aid into Gaza, where international experts have said famine is imminent, promising “concrete action” if a new military offensive did not stop.
London also suspended free trade talks with Israel for pursuing “egregious policies” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers.
In response, Mr Netanyahu accused them of wanting to help Hamas and “being on the wrong side of history”.
The joint statement said Tuesday’s action was focused on curbing violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and was aimed solely at individuals who “undermine Israel’s own security”. But it said measures could not be seen in isolation of events in Gaza.
“We continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid,” it said. “There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip.”
[ The Irish Times view on Israel’s international reputation: sliding ever downwardOpens in new window ]
The foreign ministers said they still wanted “a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties, values and commitment to [its] security and future”.
“We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas, which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution,” the statement said.
Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich have previously clashed with Mr Netanyahu, both calling for the permanent conquest of Gaza and re-establishment of the Jewish settlements there that Israel abandoned in 2005, notions that the Israeli leader rejected.
In Gaza, Israeli gunfire reportedly killed dozens of Palestinians as thousands of displaced people approached an aid distribution site of a US-backed humanitarian group in the centre of the Strip on Tuesday, local health authorities said.
According to the Associated Press news agency, the Gaza health ministry said 36 people were killed and 207 injured.
Medics told Reuters the casualties were rushed to two hospitals, the Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, and the Al-Quds in Gaza City, in the north.
The Israeli military said its forces had fired warning shots at “suspects who were advancing in the area of Wadi Gaza and posed a threat to the troops”.
It said it was aware of reports that several were injured, but said numbers released by local health authorities did not align with the information it had collected.
“The warning shots were fired hundreds of meters from the aid distribution site, before its opening hours and toward the suspects who posed a threat to the troops,” the military said.
It has previously accused Hamas militants of deliberately disrupting aid distribution.
Last week the army warned Palestinians not to approach routes leading to sites of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) between 6pm and 6am local time, describing these roads as closed military zones.
There was no immediate GHF comment on Tuesday’s incident.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral.
While the GHF has said there have been no incidents at its distribution sites, Palestinians seeking aid have described disorder, and access routes to the sites have been beset by chaos and deadly violence.
Separately, local health authorities said an Israeli strike on a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip killed eight people, taking Tuesday’s death toll to at least 25.
The war began after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7th, 2023, attack, Israel’s single deadliest day.
Israel’s military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, said health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.
Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping her and fellow pro-Palestinian activists in international waters, saying she declined to sign a document stating she entered the country illegally prior to being deported.
Speaking in the arrivals section of Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport after being deported from Israel, the Swedish activist said she and her team had broken no laws, and called for the immediate release of the activists still in Israel.
“I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel,” she said.
Ms Thunberg (22), arrived in Paris a day after the Israeli navy prevented her and a group of fellow pro-Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza.
Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday, trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Ms Thunberg.
Ms Thunberg denied her mission to deliver aid to Gaza by breaking through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave was a PR stunt, saying a previous effort in a larger boat was ended after the vessel was bombed. She said she was now in desperate need of a shower and sleep.
She admitted it was unclear where she would be heading next, telling reporters it could be Sweden – Reuters/AP
