Reuters: EU to discuss sanctions on Israeli settlements in West Bank

EU foreign ministers are set to discuss possible sanctions against Israeli settlements in the West Bank during their meeting on July 13, Reuters reports, citing diplomatic sources.

Sources said the European Commission has presented member states with a report outlining three possible approaches to the settlements issue: the introduction of punitive import tariffs, strict licensing requirements for imports, or a complete ban on products originating from the settlements.

According to them, support within the European Union for tougher measures against Israeli settlements has grown in recent weeks.

In May, EU foreign ministers failed to reach an agreement on broader economic sanctions targeting the settlements.

As a compromise, they imposed restrictions on four settler organisations and three individuals.

Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the measures, describing them as politically motivated.

UN bodies and the majority of countries regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law. Israel disputes that position, arguing that the territory's status remains contested and maintaining that Jewish communities have existed there for millennia.

"I think what you will see on Monday is a discussion on the options, and we will get a bit of a picture of where everybody is," a diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the internal discussions.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov