America begins to punish Israel

Washington [US], December 6: In a rare move of sanctions against Israel, the US State Department announced it would impose an entry ban on Jewish settlers in the West Bank involved in violence against Palestinians.
According to AP, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced this decision on December 5, after warning Israel last week that Washington would take action against attacks on Palestinian civilians living in the West Bank . The lands west of the Jordan River, along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, are areas where Palestinians reside and consider part of their "future state" territory.
In a statement, Blinken said the new US visa restrictions target "individuals believed to be involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank, including committing acts of violence or other actions intended to unduly limit civilian access to essential services and basic necessities."
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the ban will be implemented from December 5 and will apply to "dozens" of Israeli settlers in the West Bank and their families, and that many more people will be affected. put on the list if violence continues. He did not state the exact number and refused to provide information about any subject due to confidentiality issues.
According to Mr. Miller, any Israeli citizen with a US visa who is on the sanctions list will be notified that their visa has been revoked. He also said that Washington's move does not mean the Israeli government does not need to take its own actions and "we will continue to be clear with them about that."
President Joe Biden and other senior US officials have repeatedly warned that Israel must act to stop Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Attacks in the area have increased in recent months as Israel expands Jewish settlements, and spiked after a Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war. It also builds Jewish settlements there, which most countries consider illegal. Israel opposes this position, citing historical and religious ties to the land.
When asked about violence caused by Jewish settlers in the West Bank, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said no one but the Israeli government has the right to use violence.
"Israel is a state ruled by law. The right to use violence belongs only to those authorized by the government to do so," Mr. Gallant said at a press conference on December 5, according to Reuters.
During the press conference on December 5, Mr. Miller also criticized Israel for not doing enough to create conditions for fuel and aid to enter Gaza. "The current level of relief going into (Gaza) is not enough. It needs to increase and we have made that clear to the Israeli government," he said.
In another development, President Biden accused Hamas of raping many women during the attack in Israel on October 7, citing information from victims and witnesses. Speaking at a foundation event in the US, Mr Biden said stories of "unimaginable cruelty" had been shared in the past few weeks, according to Reuters.
In response, Hamas condemned Mr. Biden, saying that the leader "tried to falsely accuse" members of this force. Hamas also accused the US president of participating in Israel's efforts to cover up war crimes in Gaza and to mislead public opinion.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper