The 19-year-old dreamt of competing abroad, and said she wanted to be like Ronaldo and Messi
world3 days ago
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a handful of extremist Jewish settlers over violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, in a rare step against Israelis as war rages with Hamas, officials said.
President Joe Biden was also issuing an executive order laying out the groundwork for actions over attacks and "acts of terrorism" in the West Bank, where settlers have rampaged against Palestinians amid the separate military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The United States will announce initial sanctions against four people. Any assets they hold in the United States will be blocked, with Americans forbidden from financial transactions with them.
The action marks the first financial sanctions against settlers although the Biden administration earlier announced that it would refuse visas for extremists involved in violence.
The move comes as Biden travels Thursday to Michigan, a crucial state in November presidential elections and home to a major Arab American community, in which anger has been growing over Biden's support for Israel. The mayor of one Detroit suburb is snubbing the president over the war.
A senior US official, explaining the new actions, said that Biden has consistently raised concern with Israel about violence by settlers.
"These actions pose a grave threat to peace, security, stability in the West Bank, Israel and the Middle East region," the official said on customary condition of anonymity.
"They also obstruct the realization of, ultimately, an independent Palestinian state, existing side by side of the state of Israel and, by extension, the enduring peace and stability for Palestinians and Israelis alike," he said.
Israeli settlers killed at least 10 Palestinians and torched dozens of homes in the occupied West Bank in 2023, making it the "most violent" year on record for settler attacks, according to the human rights group Yesh Din.
About 490,000 settlers live among approximately three million Palestinians in the West Bank, in settlements that are considered illegal under international law.
The 19-year-old dreamt of competing abroad, and said she wanted to be like Ronaldo and Messi
world3 days ago
Hochstein's mission marks a last-ditch attempt by the outgoing US administration to clinch a ceasefire as diplomacy to end the Gaza war appears totally adrift
world3 days ago
This will be his first visit since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia around three years ago
world3 days ago
The changes state that any conventional attack on Russia, aided by a nuclear power, could be considered to be a joint attack
world4 days ago
The country launched a probe in March 2021 into WhatsApp's privacy policy, which allowed data sharing with Facebook and its units, sparking global backlash
world4 days ago
This time around, Trump wants the Senate to give up that gatekeeping role and allow him to make 'recess appointments'
world4 days ago
Police allege the offences took place between 2001 and 2019 against 8 victims; the youngest was 17 at the time of the offence
world5 days ago
The two countries have a mutual defence treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea
world5 days ago