Singapore sanctions four Israelis over violence against Palestinians in West Bank

ISTANBUL (AA) — Singapore on Friday announced financial sanctions and travel bans on four Israeli individuals over their participation in violent acts against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The sanctioned individuals—Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion Gopstein, and Baruch Marzel—“have been involved in egregious acts of extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank,” the Singapore Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“These actions are unlawful and undermine prospects for a two-State solution,” the ministry added, reiterating that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. It warned that the continued presence and expansion of settlements “makes it significantly harder to achieve a viable two-State solution.”

“As a firm supporter of international law, Singapore opposes any unilateral attempts to alter facts on the ground through acts illegal under international law,” the statement said.

It also urged Israel to curb settler violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

The sanctions come amid a surge in violence in the occupied West Bank following the outbreak of genocide in Gaza in October 2023.

Since then, more than 1,076 Palestinians have been killed and roughly 10,700 injured in attacks by Israeli forces and illegal settlers. Over 20,500 Palestinians have also been detained.

In a landmark advisory opinion issued in July, the International Court of Justice ruled Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the dismantling of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.