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Why did Israel, the United States, and the European Union impose sanctions after Hamas won the 2006 election?

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Oslo Accords: Declaration of Principles on Palestinian Self-Rule — Palestinian Authority U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton (center) looking on as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (left) shakes hands with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Palestinian Self-Rule, September 1993.

Following the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, Israel, the United States, and the European Union imposed sanctions on the Palestinian Authority primarily because Hamas had been designated as a terrorist organization by each of these entities.12

The international response was driven by concerns regarding the group's history of violence and its long-standing rejection of the legitimacy of Israel. By maintaining the isolation of Hamas, these international actors sought to weaken the influence of an organization committed to extremism and to strengthen the position of Palestinian moderates who were viewed as viable partners for peace. This policy of isolation was intended to pressure the new government, as the international community sought to ensure that any Palestinian administration would adhere to established diplomatic frameworks and security commitments.324