US Sanctions Settler Group in West Bank

The United States imposed sanctions on Tuesday against a violent settler group in the West Bank. The US Treasury Department said that the group, called "Hilltop Youth", has repeatedly attacked Palestinians and destroyed their property in the occupied territory. Through these violent activities, Hilltop Youth is actively destabilizing the West Bank and harming the peace and security of Palestinians, Treasury said in a statement. Hilltop Youth has conducted a campaign of violence against Palestinians, engaging in killings, arson, assaults, and intimidation and has devastated communities in the process, Treasury said. In August, the US imposed sanctions on an Israeli nonprofit organization and a Jewish security official in a West Bank settlement. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at the time that Hashomer Yosh, a non-governmental organization that says it helps protect settlers, provided material support to an unauthorized West Bank outpost already subject to sanctions. The official is Yitz hak Levi Filant, a civilian security coordinator at the Yitzhar settlement who led a group of armed settlers in February to set up roadblocks and conduct patrols aimed at forcing Palestinians from their land, Miller said. The sanctions will result in blocking the assets of the targeted individuals in the United States and prohibiting their entry into the country. US persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them. Source: Qatar News Agency