The US State Department announced that it had imposed sanctions on the Tzav 9 group, for committing acts of sabotage and destruction of humanitarian aid going to Gaza.

The US State Department statement, a copy of which was received by Jerusalem, and which was issued by State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, said: “The Zav-9 group is a violent extremist Israeli group that works to prevent, harass, and destroy convoys carrying life-saving humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza".

Miller said in his statement: “For months, members of the “Zaf 9” have repeatedly sought to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including by blocking roads, sometimes violently, along their route from Jordan to Gaza, including in West Bank. They also damaged aid trucks and dumped life-saving humanitarian aid on the road. On May 13, 2024, members of “Tesav 9” looted two trucks near Hebron in the West Bank carrying humanitarian aid intended for men, women and children in Gaza and then set them on fire.

The statement stressed, “The provision of humanitarian assistance is vital to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from worsening and to mitigate the risk of famine. It is the responsibility of the Government of Israel to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian convoys passing through Israel and the West Bank on their way to Gaza. We will not tolerate acts of sabotage and violence targeting these “Essential humanitarian assistance. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to promote accountability for those who attempt or commit such heinous acts, and we expect and urge the Israeli authorities to do the same.”

According to the statement, the Department is imposing sanctions on Tzav 9 pursuant to Section 1(a)(i)(A) of Executive Order (EO) 14115, for being responsible for or complicit in, or participating in or attempting to engage directly or indirectly in, acts - including That directs, enacts, implements, enforces, or fails to enforce policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the West Bank.

The Ministry did not specify the nature of the penalties, or the identity of the people who were included.