Washington (agencies)
US officials said that Washington imposed sanctions on an extremist Israeli group yesterday for attacking humanitarian aid convoys heading to the Gaza Strip, in the latest step targeting parties that Washington believes threaten the chances of peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The sanctions target the “Tesav 9” group, which has links to Israeli army reservists and extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, for activities that include obstructing and damaging aid shipments.
The financial sanctions are imposed by an executive order signed by Biden in February related to violence in the West Bank and were previously used to impose financial restrictions on settlers involved in attacks on Palestinians.
“Tsav 9” was included on the list of those subject to sanctions, according to the website of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury yesterday.
“We are using the authority to impose sanctions on an ever-growing range of parties and targeting individuals and entities that threaten peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, regardless of religion, race, or location,” said Aaron Forsberg, director of the State Department’s Office of Sanctions Policy and Implementation.
On May 13, members of the Tsav 9 group seized two aid trucks and then set them on fire near the West Bank city of Hebron.
This step freezes any assets subject to US jurisdiction owned by the group and prevents Americans from dealing with it.
This week, human rights organizations called for US sanctions to be imposed on “Tsav 9” and said that the group collects money from Israeli companies and Israeli and American non-profit organizations. The human rights organizations said in a statement that “such civil groups enjoy immunity from the Israeli authorities.”
In addition, the United States criticized the decision of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to seize the Palestinian Authority’s “clearance” funds while the Authority faces financial hardship due to these financial measures. A US State Department spokesman confirmed
Matthew Miller told reporters that Smotrich’s decision to transfer tens of millions of Palestinian Authority funds to Israel was “inappropriate.”
He pointed out that Washington made it clear to the Israeli government that these funds belong to the Palestinian people and should be transferred to the Palestinian Authority immediately.
Miller added: “This money should not be withheld. Israel should not delay handing it over because, first and foremost, as I said, it belongs to the Palestinian people,” warning that withholding the money was “a very wrong decision by that minister.”
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