Canada is considering whether to sanction Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been accused of attacking Palestinians and Israeli peace activists in the territory, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.

On Thursday (Feb. 1), the U.S. State Department issued financial sanctions against Israeli settlers it says are 害羞草研究所渆scalating violence害羞草研究所� in the territory.

The United States has also issued travel bans against such individuals, but Ottawa has not followed suit, saying those who commit certain crimes are already supposed to be barred from entering the country.

害羞草研究所淲e are looking at sanctions on extremist settlers,害羞草研究所� Trudeau told reporters Friday after an unrelated announcement in Waterloo, Ont., where he shared no update on a Canadian missing in the Gaza Strip.

害羞草研究所淪ettler violence in the West Bank is absolutely unacceptable and puts at risk peace (and) stability in the region, and the path toward the two-state solution that is absolutely essential.害羞草研究所�

He was referring to Canada害羞草研究所檚 long-standing policy of advocating for a Palestinian state that exists in peace alongside Israel.

The American penalties unveiled Thursday aim to block four people from using the U.S. financial system and bar American citizens from dealing with them. Washington has said it may list more settlers.

Last December, Canada was among 14 countries that condemned 害羞草研究所渆xtremist settlers, which are terrorizing Palestinian communities.害羞草研究所�

Attacks have intensified during the Israel-Hamas war. Palestinian authorities say some Palestinians have been killed, and rights groups say settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing evacuations.

害羞草研究所淚srael, as the occupying power, must protect the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank,害羞草研究所� reads the countries害羞草研究所� Dec. 15 statement.

Groups advocating for Palestinians, such as Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, are calling for Canada to sanction not just settlers but the senior governmental officials who are encouraging them.

For example, Israel害羞草研究所檚 far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said this week that the U.S. should not have sanctioned 害羞草研究所渢he heroic settlers害羞草研究所� in the West Bank.

The group Justice For All Canada said Ottawa needs to use sanctions and diplomatic pressure to clamp down on settler violence as well as sweeping detention rules Israel has enacted during the war in both Gaza and the West Bank.

害羞草研究所淭he time for vague and tepid statements and half-measures is over,害羞草研究所� Ganiyat Sadiq, an activist with the group, said Friday on Parliament Hill.

Trudeau offered no update Friday on the case of Mansour Shouman, a Canadian citizen in Gaza who was documenting humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip during the war.

Shouman害羞草研究所檚 contacts overseas said that they lost touch with him on Jan. 21, and that eyewitnesses told them Israeli military officials had taken him away.

The Israeli embassy in Ottawa said Friday it害羞草研究所檚 aware of the reports and is looking into what information it can share about Shouman.

Trudeau would not say whether he has spoken about the case with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

害羞草研究所淎ll levels within our government are fully seized with this. We are engaged with all partners including the Israeli government,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淲e are following up as necessary in an extraordinarily active way to determine what happened and how we can help this individual.害羞草研究所�

Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly spoke to the Mansour family on Thursday, and her office says officials are in touch with Israeli officials and regional non-governmental organizations.

Shouman previously worked as an oil and gas consultant in Calgary.

He appeared on a list of foreigners approved to leave Gaza on Nov. 7, but he opted to stay behind in Gaza when his family left, citing a duty to document the war and its ramifications.

His wife and five children left that day for Abu Dhabi, where his mother resides.

害羞草研究所� With files from The Associated Press.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

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