The U.S. Department of Treasury unveiled new sanctions on Thursday targeting two illegal outposts in the occupied West Bank. These outposts have reportedly served as a launching point for attacks by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, according to three U.S. officials who spoke with Axios.
This marks the first instance of the United States imposing sanctions on entire outposts in the occupied West Bank, rather than targeting specific individuals.
The Biden administration's second round of sanctions aimed at countering settler violence targets Moshe's Farm and Zvi's Farm for their role as bases for attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians.
In addition to sanctioning the two outposts, the Department of Treasury also imposed sanctions on three Israeli settlers involved in the attacks: Moshe Sharvit and Zvi Bar Yosef, the leaders of the outposts, as well as Neriya Ben Pazi.
According to a U.S. official, the sanctions imposed on the two outposts are intended to convey the message that the United States is targeting not only individuals but also entities that provide logistical and financial support for attacks against Palestinian civilians.
The sanctions involve freezing any assets that the three settlers and two outposts may hold in the U.S., prohibiting them from obtaining visas to enter the country, and restricting their access to the U.S. financial system.
