On May 11, EU foreign ministers agreed on the sanctions which had been stalled by Hungary’s former prime minister Viktor Orban but his ouster paved the way for the veto to be lifted.

The sanctions consist of travel bans and asset freezes, and EU citizens and companies are also banned from making funds, financial assets or other economic resources available to those listed.

The sanctioned individuals included Daniella Weiss, a leading figure in the settler movement.

The EU also sanctioned 10 representatives of the Palestinian rebel group Hamas, the European Council, representing the 27 member states, said.

The occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence involving Israeli troops and settlers since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

The EU has also come under pressure by Spain and Italy to sanction Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who posted a video showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla forced to their knees with hands bound.