The US government on Friday imposed sanctions on the radical Israeli group Tzav 9 for targeting aid supplies sent to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
"For months, individuals from Tzav 9 have repeatedly sought to thwart the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including by blockading roads, sometimes violently, along their route from Jordan to Gaza, including in the West Bank," the State Department said in a statement.
"They also have damaged aid trucks and dumped life-saving humanitarian aid onto the road."
Department spokesman Matthew Miller cited an incident on May 13, when Tzav 9 members looted and set fire to two trucks near Hebron in the West Bank carrying life-saving aid to Gaza.
The provision of humanitarian aid is crucial to reduce the risk of famine in the Gaza Strip, Miller stressed.
"The Government of Israel has a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian convoys transiting Israel and the West Bank enroute to Gaza," he said.
"We will not tolerate acts of sabotage and violence targeting this essential humanitarian assistance."
As a result of the sanctions, any assets of those affected in the US are frozen.
US citizens or people who are in the United States are prohibited from doing business with the sanctioned companies and individuals. The sanctions also make international business far more difficult for those subjected to them.