Palestinian human rights activist Issa Amro has criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Israeli settler groups, describing the move as a dangerous escalation that will embolden settler violence in the West Bank. Amro, who received the 2024 Right Livelihood Award for his unwavering commitment to peaceful resistance, highlighted the role these sanctions had played in curbing attacks on Palestinians.
“Ending sanctions on settler groups encourages them to attack more Palestinians; it encourages Israeli settlers’ terror,” Amro said. “There is no one here in Israel trying to stop the Israeli settlers’ violence. Israeli settlers are really wild without any accountability.”
The sanctions, introduced by the Biden administration in February 2024, had targeted settler organisations inciting violence and funding illegal settlements. According to Amro, these measures forced many groups to curtail their attacks on Palestinians.
“After the sanctions, many settlers and settler organisations stopped working openly to attack Palestinians,” he said. “The sanctions made many settler groups step back and reduce their violence toward Palestinians.”
Amro also underscored the importance of international accountability mechanisms, given the lack of action from Israeli authorities.
“The main goal of sanctions is to stop violence and reduce Israeli settler violence,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s the only tool, the only methodology, the only accountability for the settlers because Israeli courts, army, and police are not making them accountable.”
Earlier this week, Amro commented on the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas, expressing concern that violence would increase in the West Bank. His fears were quickly realised on Tuesday, when the Israeli army began targeting the West Bank city of Jenin, killing 13 people and displacing hundreds of families.
“Israeli soldiers and settlers will continue to do whatever they want in the West Bank, despite the ceasefire deal,” he said. “Keep the solidarity, keep the non-violent resistance, keep the campaigns, make the occupation more exposed, make the occupation accountable.”