On February 12, 2024, a collective of Palestinian victims from the West Bank, represented by Ms. Sarah Sameur, a lawyer at the Paris Bar Association, with the collaboration of Mr. Johann Soufi, an international legal expert, submitted a request to His Excellency Mr. Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, seeking the application of sanctions under the EU's global human rights sanctions regime against certain members of the Israeli government. These officials are accused of being involved in international crimes and serious human rights violations in the West Bank, of which the complainants have been and continue to be victims. The list of government officials concerned includes: Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Mr. Yoav Gallant, Minister of Strategic Affairs Mr. Ron Dermer, Minister of National Security Mr. Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Mr. Bezalel Smotrich.

Over the past four months, the atrocities committed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip have overshadowed many other crimes committed in the West Bank. The complainants have been victims of a multitude of international crimes and serious violations of their fundamental rights, including violent attacks against their persons and property, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, and other inhumane treatment, and forced displacement of population. These acts have been committed as part of a longstanding policy of colonization, and in the context of widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population of the West Bank by successive Israeli governments, thus constituting crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Given the leading role these government officials have played in the commission of the crimes in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank, the complainants urge the European Union to adopt various sanctions as it has already done against several senior officials in other situations, for example, in Syria, Russia and Ukraine, as well as in Venezuela.

For more information on this sanctions request, you can contact:

Mrs. Sarah SAMEUR, Attorney at Law – Cabinet d’Avocat DEMAIN. Email : cabinet@demain-avocat.com

Mr. Johann SOUFI, Expert in international law, Legal Consultant on the request. Email : johannsoufi@proton.me