US President Joe Biden has agreed to punish four Israeli people living in the West Bank for hurting Palestinians.
Mr Biden made a big decision, saying there is too much violence in the West Bank.
The sanctions stop people from using any American property, money, or banks.
Violence in the West Bank has increased a lot since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October.
Around 370 Palestinians have died in the West Bank, as reported by the UN. The UN said most of the people who died were killed by Israeli soldiers, but at least eight were killed by Israeli settlers.
The new rule says that the US government can punish people from other countries who hurt or take things from Palestinians.
The US government is imposing penalties on Israelis for the first time, which is very unusual. This decision comes as Mr. Biden visits Michigan, where many Arab-Americans live and have been unhappy with his support for Israel.
The Arab American Institute, a group that speaks up for Arab Americans, said that since the fighting began, fewer Arab Americans are supporting the Democratic Party. In 2020, 59% supported the party, but now only 17% do.
On Thursday, a top person in the Biden government said the president has talked to Israel many times about settlers causing violence.
The executive order explains how the US will act if there are more attacks in the West Bank. It is more serious than the visa restrictions it put on some people last year.
“The situation in the West Bank is really bad. There’s lots of violent attacks from extremist settlers, people being forced to leave their homes and villages, and a lot of property being destroyed. This is a big danger to the peace, safety, and stability of the area,” Mr. Biden wrote in a letter to Congress to explain his decision.
A top government person said that the first set of penalties, which are aimed at four individuals, are for people who have committed violence and scared and forced Palestinian communities to leave their homes.
They said one person started and led a riot that caused the death of a Palestinian civilian in the town of Huwara, while another person attacked people with stones and clubs.
They said that the executive order applies to both Israelis and Palestinians who are involved in violent acts, threats, intimidation, or terrorism. It is not discriminatory.
The US government identified four Israelis who are being punished. Their names are David Chai Chasdai, who is 29 years old; Yinon Levi, who is 31 years old; Einan Tanjil, who is 21 years old; and Shalom Zicherman, who is 32 years old. The Treasury said that three people lived in West Bank settlements and one person lived near the border of the occupied region.
American citizens, who are believed to have a part in the violence, cannot be given these US sanctions.
Matthew Miller from the State Department said that the US thinks the sanctions will affect these four people and wants Israel to do more to punish those responsible for settler violence.
Soon Biden signed the order, Israel showed it was not happy and said that most of the people living in the West Bank follow the law.
The Prime Minister’s office said that Israel punishes anyone who breaks the law, so there is no need for special actions on this issue.
The reply showed that the disagreement between the US and Israel is getting worse.
The two leaders have been friends for a long time, but they have argued recently about whether there should be a separate country for the Palestinians. The US thinks it’s important for there to be a separate country for Palestinians next to Israel, to keep the area stable for a long time.
Mr Netanyahu has said no many times, and the White House has confirmed that the US and Israeli governments have different views.
Those comments made some people stop believing that the conflict could lead to Israeli and Palestinian leaders starting to talk and starting the peace process again.