Overview
- EU foreign ministers meeting Monday backed a political deal to add about seven to ten violent settlers and settler groups to an EU sanctions list, with asset freezes and travel bans to follow once formalized.
- The shift became possible after a change of government in Hungary removed a veto that had stalled action for months.
- Israel condemned the step, as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called it arbitrary and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it moral bankruptcy for listing settlers alongside Hamas figures.
- Wider trade moves still divide the bloc, with Germany urging dialogue while France, Sweden and the Netherlands press for tariffs on settlement goods or limits on the EU‑Israel agreement.
- Critics say the package is too narrow and want ministers Itamar Ben‑Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich listed, while outlets reported Amana, Hashomer Yosh, Regavim and Nachala among the groups targeted.