UK Sanctions Israeli Settler Leader, He Vows to Continue Work

The United Kingdom has imposed personal sanctions on five Israeli citizens, including Eliab Libi, a bereaved father actively involved in establishing new farms and settlements in the West Bank. According to the British Foreign Secretary, there are reasonable grounds to suspect Libi of aiding, inciting, or supporting activities that constitute severe violations of human rights, specifically targeting individuals with cruel or degrading treatment. He is also accused of involvement in threats and acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians.

In response to the sanctions, Libi stated in an interview that they do not intimidate or deter him. He explained that the loss of his son David, who was killed in May 2025 by an explosive device while operating a bulldozer to destroy terror infrastructure after failing to enlist in the IDF, is the heaviest price he has paid, and no financial cost can compare. Libi urged parents to drive change to prevent further tragedy in the West Bank, emphasizing the need to alter the reality concerning the Palestinian Authority, which he claims possesses weaponry exceeding the Oslo Accords.

Libi, the founder of the "Union of Farms" and the "Habaita" forum, works to establish settlement points in open areas to create settlement continuity from the Mount Ephraim region to the Jordan Valley and to nullify the Oslo Accords. He noted that farms he established, such as "Malachei Shalom," "Chavat HaRasesh," and "Mitzpe Michal," have become recognized settlements in the past year. Libi asserted that the struggle in open areas aims to provide Israel with a security buffer without displacing Palestinians.