The Hague – The Dutch government has announced that it will ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories beginning September 22, becoming the latest European Union member to adopt such measures.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ban will apply to the import, purchase, and sale of goods produced in Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories, which the Netherlands considers illegal under international law.
The ministry said the move reinforces the country’s commitment to fulfilling its international legal obligation not to contribute to or benefit from what it described as an unlawful situation in the occupied territories.
The Netherlands joins Ireland, Belgium, and Spain, which have already introduced restrictions targeting trade with Israeli settlements.
The decision comes amid growing international scrutiny over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and increasing violence involving Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Within the 27-member European Union, calls have intensified for broader sanctions against settlement-related activities, although member states remain divided on the issue.
More Read
A report published in June by the legal advocacy group Global Echo stated that approximately one-third of agricultural exports from Israeli settlements are destined for the Netherlands, while nearly half of total settlement exports are shipped to European Union countries.
The new measures are expected to further intensify diplomatic and trade discussions between Israel and several European governments.
