France is collaborating with several nations to heighten pressure on Israel by advancing coordinated national sanctions against individuals tied to violence in the West Bank, three European diplomats said on Saturday.

The measures, which could involve asset freezes and travel bans, are still being finalized, and participating countries may end up with separate lists of targets, the diplomats noted.

The effort follows rising violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and highlights frustration in many Western capitals with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government over its settlement expansion, which some diplomats see as an attempt to block a future Palestinian state.

No EU unanimity for tougher measures on Israel

With progress stalled at the European Union level on stronger actions against Israel, several countries have turned to coordinated national sanctions as the most practical step forward, the diplomats explained.

"There is no unanimity at the EU level, so we have moved to discussions at the national level," one diplomat said.

Two diplomats indicated that an announcement could come within days.

Another diplomat mentioned Britain and Norway as countries France is working with, though additional participants remain uncertain.

Most nations refrain from public discussion of national sanctions to prevent potential targets from moving assets ahead of time.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded to earlier EU sanctions by stating that the bloc had "chosen, in an arbitrary and political manner, to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities because of their political views and without any basis."

Seven Western nations, including France, Britain, Australia, and Canada, accused the Israeli government on May 22 of worsening tensions in the West Bank.

A major worry centers on Israel's plan to develop the E1 settlement east of Jerusalem, which would divide the West Bank and separate it from East Jerusalem, further fragmenting territory sought for a Palestinian state.

"In the face of settlement expansion and violence in the West Bank, we have already taken measures. More could follow," a French diplomatic source said, without providing further details.

Britain's Foreign Office declined to comment. The Norwegian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

France hosts meeting to keep the issue on the table

The drive for national-level pressure comes days before France hosts a June 12 meeting in Paris that will bring together Israeli and Palestinian civil society representatives along with about a dozen foreign ministers.

The gathering marks one year since the New York Declaration, a non-binding UN resolution backed by the General Assembly that outlined steps toward a Palestinian state and prompted roughly a dozen countries, including France, to recognize Palestinian statehood in September.

French officials have stressed the need to keep the Israeli-Palestinian issue prominent on the global agenda as conflicts in Iran and Lebanon shift focus elsewhere, even as talks on Gaza's future remain stalled despite a fragile ceasefire.