UK sanctions target Israeli settler outposts in West Bank

Britain on Tuesday sanctioned Israeli settler organisations that it said had sponsored violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and called on Israel to "stop settler expansion on Palestinian land".

The sanctions target seven settler outposts or organisations involved in facilitating, inciting, promoting or providing support for activity that amounts to a serious abuse of the human rights of Palestinians, Britain said.

"The inaction of the Israeli government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked," British foreign minister David Lammy said, noting settlers had also targeted schools and families with young children.

"The Israeli government must crack down on settler violence and stop settler expansion on Palestinian land," he added.

The latest sanctions, which impose asset freezes on the organisations, represent the third set of measures against persons involved in settler violence in the West Bank, Britain said.

Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal, and their expansion has for decades been among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.

Israel cites biblical, historical and political ties to the area.