US President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Thursday targeting Israeli settlers in the West Bank accused of attacking Palestinians and Israeli peace activists in the occupied territories, imposing financial sanctions and visa bans in an initial round against four individuals.

According to the order, these settlers are involved in acts of violence, as well as threats and attempts to destroy or seize Palestinian property, and the sanctions aim to prevent the four from using the US financial system and prohibit American citizens from dealing with them. US officials said they are considering punishing others involved in the attacks that have intensified during the war between Israel and Hamas.

Biden's order is a rare step against America's closest ally in the Middle East, which Biden says has the right to defend itself. But the Democratic president urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to show greater restraint in its military operations aimed at eliminating Hamas.

Palestinian authorities say some Palestinians have been killed, and human rights groups say settlers have burned cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing them to evacuate.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, "This violence poses a serious threat to peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, Israel, and the Middle East region, and threatens the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States." under the current situation.

Biden faces increasing criticism for his administration's strong support for Israel as losses mount in the conflict that began when Hamas, the armed group ruling Gaza, attacked Israel on October 7.

The order notes that the violence perpetrated by settlers undermines US foreign policy goals, "including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians."

Biden has reactivated calls for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, a goal that has eluded US presidents and Middle Eastern diplomats for decades. Biden stated that finding a way to achieve Palestinian sovereignty once the war between Israel and Hamas ends is essential to building lasting peace.

Netanyahu has rejected such an idea throughout his political life and told US officials that he still opposes any post-war plan involving the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The State Department identified the four settlers in a statement and described the charges against them:

David Chasday is alleged to have led riots in Hawara in which a Palestinian civilian was killed.

Two individuals, Tanjil, are accused of assaulting Palestinian farmers and Israeli activists.

Shalom Zitterman was reportedly filmed assaulting Israeli activists in the West Bank.

Yanun Levy regularly leads a group of settlers from the Meitarim outpost who assaulted Palestinian civilians and Bedouins and threatened them with further violence if they did not leave their homes.

Biden spoke out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers and pledged to hold those responsible for the violence accountable. In late October, he said the violence carried out by "extremist settlers" is like "pouring gasoline" on the already burning fires in the Middle East. Biden said, "It must stop. They must be held accountable. It must stop now."

The Israeli Defense Forces increased raids across the West Bank after the war began. Hamas fighters are present in the West Bank, but they operate largely underground due to Israel's tight grip on the area. Palestinians have accused the Israeli army of failing to prevent settler attacks, or even at times, protecting these settlers.

Sullivan met on Wednesday at the White House with Ron Dermer, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs. US officials said the Israeli government was notified in advance of the sanctions.

The order gives the Treasury Department authority to impose financial sanctions on settlers involved in violence but does not target US citizens. A large number of settlers in the West Bank hold American citizenship, and under US law, they will be prohibited from dealing with sanctioned individuals.

American lawmakers have focused on the role of Americans or dual nationals in the violence and intimidation carried out by settlers. In a letter last month, Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on the White House to take action against any American involved in attacks on Palestinians. He said this could include criminal charges and financial sanctions.

Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, told reporters on Thursday: "There must be a strong message against the extremist activities carried out by some settlers in the West Bank, which endanger the lives of Palestinians as well as peace in the region."

The Biden order was first reported by Politico.

Officials said there are no plans to punish far-right Israeli ministers who have defended settler violence and called for settlement expansion.

The new executive order comes as Biden was scheduled to visit Michigan on Thursday to rally support from union members in a key state considered a presidential battleground. The Democratic president has faced sharp criticism from Arab and Muslim leaders over his handling of the war with Hamas, and the conflict's shadow worries some Democrats that it could have a significant impact on the November election outcome.

The president’s campaign team has already seen alarming signs of growing discord with the Arab American community in Michigan.

Last week, the president’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, traveled to a Detroit suburb and found that several community leaders were reluctant to meet her. Some frustrated with Biden’s policy on Israel are working to dissuade voters from supporting the president in the general election.

The US State Department announced in December that it would impose a travel ban on extremist Jewish settlers involved in a series of recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The department did not announce individual visa bans. But officials said at the time that the ban would include "dozens" of settlers and their families, with more to come if the violence continued.