World sanctions settlers, Israel funds settlements: Palestine weekly wrap

This week, international moves to curb Israeli settlement expansion fell short. France banned Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, four settler leaders, and 21 settlers from entering the country. Six Western states – France, UK, Canada, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand – sanctioned networks financing settler violence. Amnesty International accused Israel of a “state-sponsored” ethnic cleansing campaign in the West Bank to accelerate annexation; the Israeli military denied the charge. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a “presumption of impunity” in occupied territories, noting settler attacks averaging six per day and displacement at levels not seen since 1967.

Israel responded by approving funding for 69 settlements worth $388 million, bypassing standard planning procedures. Since late 2022, 103 settlements have been approved or legalized, 51 entirely new, many in strategic areas like the South Hebron Hills and Jordan Valley. On June 11, the Israeli military announced a permanent post in Jenin refugee camp – the first standing presence in Area A since the Oslo Accords.

In the West Bank, settlers expanded outposts and conducted violent raids. Near Ramallah, residents of Deir Abu Mash‘al tried for six days to stop an illegal outpost, but settlers attacked, injuring four Palestinians. On June 14, 50-60 masked settlers attacked Deir Dibwan and Burqa, torching six vehicles and partially burning a house. Bedouin communities face demolitions and water sabotage. Since January, over 100 incidents have damaged or destroyed more than 190 water and sanitation structures.

In Gaza, despite a nominal ceasefire, Israeli strikes and shelling continue. The post-ceasefire death toll surpassed 990, and the cumulative toll since October 2023 exceeds 73,000. On June 14, a strike near Jabalia hospital killed at least four. Humanitarian conditions worsen: over 70% of Gaza’s population depends on water trucking, and cooked meal production has halved since March.