President Joe Biden issued an executive order Thursday against four Israeli settlers in the West Bank following violence against Palestinians, the White House announced.
A senior administration official said Biden’s order will target settlers who “directly perpetrated violence, and those who have engaged in repeated acts of intimidation property destruction, leading to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities”.
The decision was made following the death of a 17-year-old American teenager, Tawfic Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, who was shot and killed last month during a visit to the West Bank.
“This violence poses a grave threat to peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, Israel, and the Middle East region, and threatens the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
Biden has grown frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over military operations aimed at rooting out Hamas. The President is facing growing criticism for his administration’s strong support of Israel as casualties mount.
