Biden to issue executive order targeting Israeli settlers who attack Palestinians

President Biden is expected to issue an executive order on Thursday allowing the U.S. to impose new sanctions on Israeli settlers — and potentially Israeli politicians and government officials — involved in violent attacks against Palestinians, two U.S. officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The unprecedented executive order will be the most significant step any U.S. administration has ever taken in response to violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

It reflects the Biden administration's determination that extremist settler violence has reached levels that constitute a serious threat to security in the West Bank and entire region and undermines U.S. foreign policy objectives, mainly the viability of a two-state solution, U.S. officials said.

Zoom in: There have been nearly 500 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians since Oct. 7, according to the UN humanitarian office (OCHA).