France, Germany and Italy support EU sanctions on Hamas

BRUSSELS:

France, Germany and Italy called on the European Union to create a special sanctions program to target Hamas as EU foreign ministers met on Monday to consider possible next steps in response to the Middle East crisis.

Among the possible measures to be discussed at the meeting are a crackdown on Hamas finances and travel bans on Israeli settlers responsible for violence in the West Bank.

In a letter to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the foreign ministers of the bloc’s three largest countries said it was important that the EU take “all necessary measures against the terrorist group Hamas and its supporters”.

“This entails a stronger European commitment both to combating the infrastructure and financial support of Hamas, and to isolating and delegitimizing Hamas internationally, which in no way represents the Palestinians or their legitimate aspirations,” the letter said. , which was seen by Reuters.

Also read: US, UK impose new round of sanctions on Hamas after attack

Hamas is already listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union, which means that any funds or assets it has in the EU will have to be frozen.

It was not immediately clear from the brief letter the details of how the sanctions would be broadened or tightened. If EU members agreed in principle, the next step would be for experts to draw up the legal framework to understand which individuals or entities would be targeted.

The EU announced on Friday that it had added Mohammed Deif, General Commander of Hamas’ military wing, and his deputy, Marwan Issa, to its list of terrorists subject to sanctions. It is also considering adding Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Shinwar to the list, according to diplomats.

The letter said a separate sanctions plan targeting Hamas would send a “strong political message” about the EU’s commitment to Hamas.

Western bank

Such a plan was one of several options outlined in a discussion paper by the EU’s diplomatic service.

France, Germany and Italy have already pushed such a plan behind the scenes, but the letter from France’s Catherine Colonna, Germany’s Annalena Baerbock and Italy’s Antonio Tajani increases pressure on other EU countries to support it.

Senior EU officials such as Borrell have also expressed concern about increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The paper suggests that an EU response could include EU travel bans on those responsible and other sanctions for violating human rights. The issue was not mentioned in the joint letter to Borrell, which spoke of “our solidarity with Israel”.

Read: France considers sanctions to tackle settler violence in West Bank

France said last month that the EU should consider such measures, and Colonna told reporters on Monday that Paris was considering domestic sanctions against such individuals.

A Belgian government spokesman said Belgium would seek to add violent settlers to the Schengen intelligence database to deny them entry.

Diplomats said it would be difficult to achieve the required unanimity for bans across the EU, as countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary are staunch allies of Israel.

But some suggested a decision last week by the United States, Israel’s biggest backer, to begin imposing visa bans on people involved in violence in the West Bank could encourage EU countries to take similar action.