Photo: AFP
Ramallah: France is exploring fresh sanctions on individuals facilitating the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said during a visit to the territory on Thursday.
“France has been a driving force to establish the first sanction regime at the European level targeting individuals or entities, either actors or accomplices of settlement activities,” Barrot said after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah.
“This regime has been activated two times already and we’re working on a third batch of sanctions targeting these activities that again are illegal with respect to international law.”
France’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was renewed by Barrot and he also warned settlement activities “threaten the political perspective that can ensure durable peace for Israel and Palestine.”
Before visiting Abbas, Barrot went to the neighbouring village of Al-Bireh, where Israeli settlers torched 20 cars on Monday, causing damage to a nearby structure, AFP reported.
After interacting with neighbours and local officials at the scene, Barrot highlighted that the attack took place in a section of the West Bank where the Palestinians were meant to have both civil and security control under the Oslo Accords of the 1990s.
“These attacks from extremist and violent settlers are not only completely inexcusable, not only contrary to international law, but they weaken the perspective of a two-state solution,” Barrot said.
Laila Ghannam, the governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh expressed outrage that settler attacks were “taking place in full view and hearing of the entire silent international community.”
“Perhaps today, with the visit of the French foreign minister, there will be a spotlight here,” she told AFP.
Speaking in Jerusalem earlier Thursday, Barrot claimed he saw hopes for ending Israel's conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon following Donald Trump's re-election, emphasising the Republican's "wish to see the end of the Middle East's endless wars" as well as recent "tactical successes" for Israel.