European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today, Wednesday, that she supports imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Von der Leyen condemned, before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the escalation of violence committed by settlers, considering it a threat to the stability of the Middle East.

She added, "The escalation of violence committed by extremist settlers causes immense suffering to the Palestinians; this jeopardizes the prospects for lasting peace and can exacerbate regional instability. For this reason, I support imposing sanctions on those involved in attacks in the West Bank."

It is noted that the United States of America has previously announced that it will not grant visas to extremist Israeli settlers involved in the wave of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while urging Israel to make more efforts to protect civilians in Gaza.