France has said it was imposing sanctions against 28 “extremist Israeli settlers” who it accuses of committing human rights abuses against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, AFP reports.

The 28 individuals are now banned from entering French territory, the foreign ministry said.

It said it firmly condemned “unacceptable” violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population that had increased in recent months.

“It is the responsibility of the Israeli authorities to put an end to it and to prosecute those who commit it,” it added.

France would also be seeking sanctions at the European level, it said.