The Dutch government announced a comprehensive ban on importing, purchasing, and selling all products coming from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, effective from September 22, in a step considered the first of its kind at the level of the European Union.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that the decision includes all goods produced in settlements deemed illegal under international law, forbidding any attempts to circumvent the ban through indirect trade operations, noting that "the measure comes within the framework of the Netherlands' commitment to its international legal obligation not to contribute to the continuation of an illegal situation."

The decision came following the publication of a report by the non-governmental rights organization "Global Echo," based on a study of more than 30,000 administrative documents related to approximately 6,800 Israeli agricultural export operations between 2017 and February 2026, revealing that 17.2% of Israeli agricultural exports to Europe came from settlements, while the percentage rose to 19.2% in exports specifically destined for European Union countries.

The Dutch step comes amid ongoing debate within the European Union over imposing a similar ban, as member states have not reached a consensus so far. Ireland, Belgium, and Spain have taken national measures to restrict trade with settlements, but they remain less comprehensive than the Dutch decision.

The announcement coincides with escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, where more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live alongside approximately 3 million Palestinians, amid UN and rights organization reports documenting increasing acts of violence in the area since the outbreak of the war on Gaza.

It is noted that the organization "Global Echo" was founded in 2018 and specializes in filing strategic cases before international courts against companies and economic parties involved in human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.