Activity by Israeli settlers has dramatically increased since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7 and a number of governments have begun imposing penalties and bans on those suspected of violent or illegal activity.

On Thursday, the US government said it had imposed financial sanctions on four Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians to "promote accountability for certain harmful activities that threaten the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank". 

"The situation in the West Bank - in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction - has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability," Biden said in an executive order.

With more sanctions expected in the future, Middle East Eye takes a look at the four Israeli settlers targeted by the US...

David Chai Chasdai

A 29-year-old settler most notorious for instigating the deadly riots in the Palestinian town of Huwwara in February last year, David Chai Chasdai was arrested in Israel over his involvement in what an Israeli army commander branded "a pogrom committed by outlaws".

The Huwwara rampage led to the death of 37-year-old Sameh Aqtash and the wounding of 98 other Palestinians, alongside the widespread destruction of property and burning of cars and homes.

Chasdai, who had long been monitored by the security services, was held for three months in administrative detention, a move rarely used against Israelis.

Though the riots were condemned by both Israeli politicians and the international community, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticised Chasdai's detention as "undemocratic" and described him and his fellow settlers as "heroic".

According to Haaretz, he was previously arrested for threatening a police officer, making dangerous substances in 2015 and 2017, and was convicted for assaulting a Palestinian taxi driver with teargas.