Canada sanctions four Israeli 'extremist settlers' accused of attacking Palestinians

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is imposing sanctions on Israelis she accuses of "extremist settler violence" in the West Bank, three months after pledging to do so.

The sanctions apply to four men who stand accused of "violent and destabilizing actions against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank."

Israel has occupied the Palestinian territory, which is separate from the Gaza Strip, since 1967, and settlers have increasingly built communities that Canada and many other countries say violate international law.

Last October's Hamas attack in Gaza prompted Israel to bombard that territory, and the United Nations says there has been a sharp uptick in West Bank settlers attacking Palestinians.

Today's sanctions apply to four settlers whom the U.S. and U.K. already listed this year, and Joly said in February that Canada would be following suit.

The minister calls the sanctions "a significant step" in Canada's approach to the region, as it tries to maintain the prospect of a two-state solution involving a Palestinian country living in peace next to Israel.