Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced on Thursday that Canada would be imposing sanctions on individuals she deemed as "extremist Israeli settlers."
A statement by Global Affairs Canada (Canada's Foreign Ministry) stated that: "Canada remains concerned with extremist settler violence and will examine additional measures in response to the grave breach of international peace and security posed by their violent and destabilizing actions against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank."
It added that: "Attacks by extremist Israeli settlers—a long-standing source of tension and conflict in the region—have escalated alarmingly in recent months. This has undermined the human rights of Palestinians, prospects for a 2-state solution, and posed significant risks to regional security."
The Ministry listed four Israeli citizens who will be targeted by the sanctions: David Chai Chasdai, Yinon Levi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit.
The individuals are already being targeted with sanctions by other countries, including the US and UK.
According to the Ministry, the listed individuals "have engaged directly or indirectly in violence and violent acts against Palestinian civilians and their property. These measures will impose a prohibition on dealings related to the listed individuals and render them inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act."
The statement noted that "today’s measures represent a significant step in Canada’s response to this ongoing violence."