US slaps sanctions on extremist West Bank settler group

The United States imposes sanctions against a violent settler group in the West Bank that the Treasury Department says has repeatedly attacked Palestinians and destroyed their property.

“Through these violent activities, ‘Hilltop Youth’ is actively destabilizing the West Bank and harming the peace and security of Palestinians and Israelis alike,” Treasury says in a statement.

The Treasury claims that the group has carried out killings, arson and other attacks to intimidate Palestinians and has devastated communities in the process.

“The worsening violence and instability in the West Bank are detrimental to the long-term interests of Israelis and Palestinians, and the actions of violent organizations like Hilltop Youth only exacerbate the crisis,” says Bradley Smith, acting under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

The move is just the latest in US sanctions on extremist settler groups operating in the West Bank.