The USA is introducing new sanctions against Israeli settlement extremists, following the recent increase in violence against Palestinians on the occupied West Bank.
Washington is introducing, among other things, financial restrictions targeting four outposts on the West Bank.
"We urge the Israeli government to take immediate action to hold these individuals and entities accountable. In the absence of such action, we will continue to impose our own penalties", says Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, in a statement.
At the same time, the G7 foreign ministers are condemning in a joint statement Israel's decision to both legalize five outposts on the West Bank and simultaneously take a large area of land in the occupied area and build new settlements.
"We, the G7 foreign ministers, join the UN and EU in condemning the announcement by Israel's Foreign Minister (Bezalel) Smotrich to legalize five outposts on the West Bank", they write and also condemn Israel's approval of a seizure of 12.7 square kilometers of land in the Jordan Valley in early July.
According to the organization Peace Now, that seizure is the largest area Israel has taken in 30 years.
