Immediate Release

On Human Rights Day: Global Coalition Calls for Immediate Sanctions Over Deliberate Destruction of Gaza’s Civilian Infrastructure

An international coalition of leading organisations across North America, Europe, and Australia has formally submitted detailed targeted sanctions recommendations to government officials for the first-ever sanctions addressing Gaza atrocities. 

BRUSSELS, OTTAWA, and LONDON, 10 December 2025 — International member organizations and endorsers of the Global Sanctions Coalition (GSC) have submitted coordinated recommendations to the Governments of Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, calling for the immediate imposition of targeted sanctions against three individuals, and their associated entities, implicated in colluding with the Israeli military in the widescale destruction of civilian property in Gaza. In response to the slow-down of western sanctions against Israel, and the unprecedented US sanctions on human rights groups and advocates, civil society organizations from various countries have united to embrace the power of economic sanctions and to demand long-overdue measures in response to atrocities in Gaza.  

The Coalition’s 50-page formal evidentiary submission identifies priority sanctions targets aimed at curbing the unlawful demolition of civilian infrastructure—including places of worship, medical facilities, schools, and private homes. The dossier compiles extensive, cross-verified evidence detailing how ideologically motivated Israeli settlers, private contractors, and irregular engineering units systematically partake in the flattening of Gaza. 

QUOTES 

“Civilian property is protected under international law, yet we are witnessing the systematic demolition of entire towns and urban neighbourhoods,” said Corey Balsam, National Coordinator of Independent Jewish Voices. “These recommendations build on our ongoing work pushing for effective, escalatory sanctions against the institutions that design, fund, and operationalize illegal land seizures and infrastructure destruction across occupied Palestine.”  

“If those responsible for destroying homes, hospitals, and civilian life can still travel freely, invest abroad, and live without consequences, the message is clear: impunity prevails. We urgently need measures that halt business-as-usual for perpetrators of these grave violations,” said Willem Staes, Middle East Coordinator at 11.11.11.  

“In response to the July 2024 ICJ ruling, the UN specifically identified economic sanctions as a key means to hold Israel accountable,” said Karen Rodman, Executive Director of Just Peace Advocates. “Third states must uphold their duty to prevent or punish the commission of genocide by acting now— a faux ceasefire is no excuse for inaction.” 

“From the West Bank and Gaza to Lebanon and the Golan, Israel systematically destroys civilian infrastructure to drive out Arab populations under the pretext of security,” said Yara Shoufani, President of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME). “Canada must expand its sanctions program to target Israeli extremism beyond the scope of the West Bank, as there are no borders to Israel’s genocidal efforts to destroy and displace.” 

BACKGROUND 

The Global Sanctions Coalition is urging governments across the world to impose economic sanctions, including but not limited to asset freezes and other severe targeted measures, on Harel Libi and Libi Construction Ltd.; Alon Elgali and his company Meshek Afar Ltd.; and Uria Loberman and the Uria Unit, to prevent Canadian complicity in continued demolition of civilian infrastructure in Gaza.  

• Harel Libi and Libi Construction Ltd. have provided privately-owned heavy machinery, with Libi directly managing demolition work. Libi is reportedly a settler residing in the illegal West Bank outpost of Adei Ad and has a documented history of  violence against Palestinians. In 2012, the Israeli military issued a temporary removal order against Libi from the West Bank for suspected involvement in conspiring to commit violence against Palestinian civilians and Israeli security forces. On May 20, 2025, Libi was added to the UK sanctions list for “threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals” in the West Bank. Libi sought to recruit machine operators for demolition work in Gaza, and runs a company whose workers are known for prioritizing ideological motivations over financial gain. Evidence compiled by GSC shows Libi Construction Ltd. machinery being used to demolish civilian structures in Ragah, Beit Lahia, and Jabalia, including the Indonesian Hospital’s Nour Al-Kaabi Dialysis Center, located in Beit Lahia, which at the time was the only remaining dialysis clinic serving all of northern Gaza.   
• Alon Elgali and Meshek Afar Ltd. have participated in demolition projects in Gaza since October 2023. Elgali is an Israeli businessman, IDF reservist, and owner and founder of Meshek Afar Ltd.  Elgali has a documented history of political violence and bigoted views. In July 2024, a video uploaded to his personal TikTok account shows Elgali filming war-ravaged surroundings from a military convoy, and saying, “Happy is the one whose bulldozer has been given the strength to wreck real damage on his enemies and to avenge the vengeance of God upon our enemies.” GSC has gathered evidence showing Elgali and Meshek Afar Ltd. are implicated in demolition work targeting mutli-level residential buildings, water tanks, olive trees, and places of worship in Gaza. Multiple videos posted on social media show their bulldozers demolishing residential buildings, and regularly feature Elgali personally overseeing these activities.
• Uria Loberbom is an IDF reservist and leader of the “Uria Unit,” an irregular engineering unit which has engaged in the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Loberbom has a documented history of anti-Palestinian animus and pro-settlement motivations. On January 11, 2024, Loberbom told Israeli media that Israel should starve Gaza “even if it’s illegal under international law.” Loberbom’s privately-owned fleet of heavy machines was deployed in Gaza by late 2024. The Uria Unit has approximately 100 machine operators, including both IDF reservists and civilians. Open-source documentation evinces the Unit’s engagement in the deliberate, widescale destruction of Palestinian homes across Gaza. One video captures an incident where a Uria Unit excavator toppled a mosque’s minaret, the last remaining intact part of a place of worship. 
  
  

POLICY CONTEXT 

The destruction of private residences and places of worship is in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions, and these structures are protected under international law. Under the Geneva Conventions, Israel may not destroy property in occupied territory unless “absolutely necessary” for military reasons. Israel routinely violates these prohibitions in the West Bank, and we are now witnessing the same, widespread and unlawful destruction of property in Gaza. The ICJ has recognized such property destruction as an intentional tool of forced displacement.  

Governments around the world have already imposed targeted sanctions on actors involved in  the destruction of Palestinian property and the displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Now, the Global Sanctions Coalition is calling for allied governments to extend sanctions to those responsible for carrying out the widespread, illegal destruction of homes, mosques, and medical facilities in Gaza. Despite a ceasefire agreement being in place, Israeli forces and associated contractors have not stopped their demolition activities, and continue to carry out mass destruction of  civilian infrastructure in Gaza.  

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The Global Sanctions Coalition (GSC) is a nonpartisan international alliance that mobilizes civil society and allies to promote the effective and ethical use of economic sanctions. GSC’s mission is twofold: to ensure sanctions are precisely targeted to halt atrocities and malign conduct, and to drive the recalibration of programs that inflict harm on civilians or are otherwise inconsistent, biased, or counterproductive. Visit GlobalSanctionsCoaltion.org  to learn more. 

Endorsers of this submission include: Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, the Coalition of Canadian Palestinian Organizations, Just Peace Advocates, the Palestinian Canadian Congress (Canada), PAX, The Rights Forum (the Netherlands), 11.11.11. (Belgium), and International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (UK).


Media Contacts 

Corey Balsam, Independent Jewish Voices, corey@ijvcanada.org  

Michael Bueckert, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, michael.bueckert@cjpme.org  

Karen Rodman, Just Peace Advocates, info@justpeaceadvocates.ca  

Kenny Van Minsel, 11.11.11, Kenny.VanMinsel@11.be  

Jonathan Purcell, International Centre of Justice for Palestine, Jonathan@icjpalestine.com