EU sanctions agreed on Hamas leaders and Israeli settler movement, diplomats say

European Union foreign ministers reached a unanimous political deal on Monday for new sanctions. The measures targeted Hamas leaders and the Israeli settler movement. The decision followed years of stalled talks and stronger public pressure. The pressure grew after the deaths and destruction in Gaza, according to officials.

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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addressed the decision after talks in Brussels. Kallas wrote on social media that extremism and violence should bring consequences. "It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery,\" Kallas said. EU diplomats did not publish the full sanctions list immediately.

EU sanctions on Hamas leaders and Israeli settler movement

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the package covered Hamas leaders. Barrot also said it included leaders and organisations in the Israeli settler movement. Barrot described the decision in a Monday social media post. \"The European Union is sanctioning today the main Israeli organizations guilty of supporting the extremist and violent colonization of the West Bank, as well as their leaders. These most serious and intolerable acts must cease without delay,\" Barrot said.

Barrot added that the EU action also targeted Hamas leadership. \"It is sanctioning the main leaders of Hamas, responsible for the worst antisemitic massacre in our history since the Shoah during which 51 French people lost their lives, a terrorist movement that must imperatively be disarmed and excluded from any participation in the future of Palestine,\" Barrot said.

EU sanctions and West Bank violence figures

Warnings about rising violence in the West Bank have been increasing. Palestinians, rights groups and international observers have cited more killings. Reports also described arson, vandalism, and the removal of farming communities. These incidents were reported near settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank.

At least 40 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the year. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs provided the figure. The agency said a record 11 deaths were caused by settlers. That was two more than the total recorded in all of 2025.

EU sanctions after Viktor Orbán ouster and Hungary vote shift

Diplomats and analysts linked the unanimous vote to politics in Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minsiter Viktor Orbán lost power last month after 16 years. Orbán was a strong supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Orbán had repeatedly blocked earlier attempts to sanction settlers.

Orbán lost an April election to Péter Magyar. Martin Konecný led the Brussels-based European Middle East Project. Konecný said Monday’s approval backed the view that Orbán acted alone. Konecný also said the sanctions could mark a change in the EU approach.

EU sanctions debate and limits on stronger Israel measures

Several European governments pushed for penalties for months. Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands were among those pressing harder, diplomats said. Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel spoke before the meeting. \"You cant just turn a blind eye,\" Bettel said. Critics pointed to actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Still, the ministers did not agree on tougher options. Some states wanted a ban on settlement goods from the West Bank. Others raised suspending a key trade agreement with Israel. The meeting ended without backing for those broader steps, according to EU diplomats.

Hugh Lovatt worked at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Lovatt said the focus stayed narrow on a few people and entities. \"Theres so much that you can and should be doing, and so to get stuck in this question of adding a few more settlers is missing the big picture,\" Lovatt said. Lovatt added the EU was missing deeper issues.

Human Rights Watch also responded to the outcome. Claudio Francavilla served as the group’s associate EU director. Francavilla said the decision moved in the right direction. Francavilla also said far more action was needed for the EU to meet international law.

Italy signalled caution on further steps linked to EU markets. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy needed time to review a French-Swedish plan. The plan aimed to cut West Bank settlers from EU markets. Tajani’s remarks suggested Italy was not yet backing it.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said countries could act alone. Berendsen said individual nations could block settlement goods if Brussels delays. The EU’s next Foreign Affairs Council later in May was expected to focus on trade. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno urged a vote. \"We have been talking about measures for too long,\" Albares said. \"Lets move on to a vote and stop saying that there is no qualified majority for it. Lets see how many of us are in agreement and who is not.\"

The new sanctions agreement showed rare unity among the 27 EU states. Officials said the measures covered Hamas leaders and parts of the settler movement. Wider steps on settlement trade remained unresolved. More discussion was expected at the later May Foreign Affairs Council, with trade issues on the agenda.

With inputs from PTI