Israel to Impose Sanctions on France, Other Nations Over Settlement Punishments

Israel is reportedly preparing to announce retaliatory measures against France and other countries that have imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements. This follows a similar move announced earlier Tuesday by Foreign Minister G Gideon Saar against the United Kingdom.

Sources speaking to Kan News indicated that the measures against France and others would likely mirror those taken against the UK, which included the expulsion of British representatives from a headquarters in Kiryat Gat and the closure of the British consulate. The British consulate in Jerusalem is expected to close within weeks, though Saar's official letter to the British embassy instructed officers stationed in Kiryat Gat to depart within days.

Saar's announced response to the UK's decision included closing the British consulate in Jerusalem, expelling British representatives from the Kiryat Gat headquarters, halting British activity in training Palestinian Authority forces, and barring entry for 12 British public figures and citizens. A British official described Israel's reaction as "regrettable," stating that British ministers felt a response to the situation in the West Bank was a moral and security issue, and that inaction was impossible. The official clarified that the move was not an attack on Israel but a response to "extremists and violence."

The British source also claimed that the United States had requested the UK send representatives to Kiryat Gat to advance the "Trump initiative," but that this was yielding no positive results. The article also briefly mentions that the UK's sanctions on settlements were supported by 11 other countries and references a statement by Jared Kushner regarding Israel's agreement with the US on Gaza.