WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States imposed sanctions on Tuesday against a violent settler group in the West Bank that the Treasury Department said has repeatedly attacked Palestinians and destroyed their property in the Israeli-occupied territory.
“Through these violent activities, Hilltop Youth is actively destabilizing the West Bank and harming the peace and security of Palestinians and Israelis alike,” Treasury said in a statement.
The group has carried out killings, arson and other attacks to intimidate Palestinians and has devastated communities in the process, Treasury said.
“The worsening violence and instability in the West Bank are detrimental to the long-term interests of Israelis and Palestinians, and the actions of violent organizations like Hilltop Youth only exacerbate the crisis,” said Bradley Smith, acting under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by Rami Ayyub)
