Israel advances settlement funding despite global sanctions

The Lead

This week, moves by France to bar a senior Israeli minister, six Western states sanctioned settler networks, and an Amnesty International accusation that Israel was implementing a “state-sponsored” campaign of ethnic cleansing in a drive to effectively annex parts of the West Bank, did little to restrain Israel.

Mounting Censure, Deepening Entrenchment

On June 9, France banned Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, from entering the country, alongside four settler organisation leaders and 21 individual settlers, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot citing Smotrich’s promotion of West Bank annexation, the resettlement of Gaza and the engineered “economic collapse” of the Palestinian Authority.

The same day, France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Norway – coordinating with Australia and New Zealand – sanctioned networks financing settler violence. On June 10, Amnesty International accused Israel of a years-long, state-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank designed to accelerate annexation; the Israeli military rejected the charge.

Coordinated Outpost Campaign, Nightly Settler Raids

As the cabinet weighed legalising some of the most violent outposts, the drive to build new ones deeper into Palestinian-administered land played out most visibly northwest of Ramallah.

In Deir Abu Mash’al, residents spent six consecutive days attempting to stop settlers establishing an illegal outpost on al-Qarana hill. After villagers repeatedly dismantled a settler tent, settlers erected a second on June 15, attacking residents and a council member and injuring four Palestinians, one critically, while Israeli forces fired tear gas and live ammunition.

Bedouin Communities and the Weaponisation of Water

Bedouin and herding communities continued to bear the brunt of harassment, water sabotage and demolition orders aimed at forcing families off their land. According to documentation provided by local activists, Israeli authorities issued demolition and stop-work orders against 13 structures in al-Deirat and six in Khallet al-Hamous near Yatta.

Deadly ‘Ceasefire’ Continues in Gaza

In Gaza, eight months into a nominal ceasefire, Israeli strikes, shelling and gunfire continued to kill Palestinians daily. The Gaza Health Ministry’s post-ceasefire toll climbed past 990 and the cumulative toll since October 2023 surpassed 73,000.