The European Union is moving toward imposing sanctions against “extremist” Israeli settlers who are caught waging attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

“I am in favor of sanctioning those involved in the attacks in the West Bank. They must be held accountable. This violence has nothing to do with the fight against Hamas and must stop,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers, backing a resolution.

The affirmation follows EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s earlier Monday statement which said the bloc was “alarmed by the violence in the West Bank by extremist settlers” and condemned the Netanyahu government’s rubberstamping of 1,700 more housing units in Jerusalem, likely to greatly expand Israeli presence in East Jerusalem.

Borrell said he was readying a sanctions proposal in the EU to trying and stem settler violence. Since Oct.7, there have been a wave of settler ‘retaliation’ attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.