Netherlands to ban goods from Israeli settlements from September

The Dutch government announced Tuesday that it will ban imports from Palestinian territories occupied by Israeli settlers from September 22.

The foreign ministry said the ban will cover the import, purchase and sale of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories. It said the measure was intended to reinforce the Netherlands' commitment to its international legal obligation not to contribute to what it called an unlawful situation.

The Netherlands will join Ireland, Belgium and Spain among European Union countries that have placed restrictions on trade with territories occupied by Israeli settlers.

The source said there have been growing calls for the 27-member European Union to impose bloc-wide restrictions over Israel's military action in Gaza and rising violence in the occupied territories, while some EU members remain reluctant.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 settlers live there alongside about three million Palestinians. The source said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is considered illegal under international law.

Violence in the West Bank has increased since the Gaza war began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

Global Echo, a non-government group that pursues legal cases for Palestinians against the occupation, said in a June report that the Netherlands accounted for one third of agricultural exports from Israeli settlements and nearly half of the total sent to the European Union.