President Joe Biden walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to Florida for campaign receptions. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden is expected to issue an executive order targeting Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been attacking Palestinians in the occupied territory, according to four people familiar with the matter.
A senior administration official, who like the others was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the White House was expected to announce the order later Thursday.
Biden has spoken out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7. The president has pledged that those those responsible for the violence will be held accountable.
The executive order is expected to set the ground for imposing sanctions on individuals who have engaged in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Attacks by Israeli settlers have intensified since the war started, and some Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian authorities. Rights groups say settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing evacuations to other areas.
Biden’s expected order was first reported by Politico.
