SAFA - The Belgian government has banned the import of products manufactured in Israeli settlements built on the occupied Palestinian territories, in a move that comes amid growing debate within the European Union over imposing trade restrictions on settlements as settlement expansion accelerates and settler attacks escalate across the occupied West Bank.

The federal cabinet reviewed imports from the occupied Palestinian territories before approving the decision at its last meeting before the summer break, according to the Belgian News Agency (Belga).

The Belgian government has not yet announced details of how the ban will be implemented or when it will take effect. The relevant authorities are expected to determine the procedures for identifying settlement products and preventing their entry into the Belgian market.

The decision comes as pressure mounts within the European Union to adopt trade measures against Israeli settlements, which are widely regarded as illegal under international law and in light of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024.

EU foreign ministers discussed a range of measures to curb trade with Israeli settlements during a meeting in Brussels last week, based on a European Commission paper that outlined three policy options.

The options include introducing a prior authorization system for imports of settlement products, imposing high tariffs on them, or banning trade with the settlements altogether.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday that banning trade with Israeli settlements had received the broadest support among EU foreign ministers as one of the proposed responses to the escalating attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

She added that the issue would be referred to the ambassadors of EU member states for further discussions, noting that the Commission’s legal service believes trade measures could be adopted without requiring the unanimous approval of all member states.

Belgium, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and France are leading efforts to push the European Commission to submit a formal proposal restricting trade with Israeli settlements.

Politico quoted four European diplomats as saying that a group of EU member states is pushing the European Commission to take concrete action rather than limit its response to political statements and declarations opposing Israeli settlements.

Spanish Member of the European Parliament Nacho Sánchez Amor, who serves on the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the settlements are “illegal” and that the best solution is to “ban the import of any goods produced there.”

In May, the European Union imposed sanctions on four entities and three individuals over “serious and systematic human rights violations” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

In an advisory opinion issued in July 2024, the International Court of Justice found that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and the establishment of settlements there are unlawful. The court also called on states to refrain from trade or investment relations that contribute to maintaining the occupation.

The Belgian decision comes as the Israeli government continues to expand its settlement project. Israel’s Security Cabinet recently approved a 1.3 billion-shekel budget to establish 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.