RAMALLAH, July 14, 2026 (WAFA) – The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced that the EU has instructed its member states' ambassadors to continue working on restrictions targeting trade with Israeli settlements.

Speaking at a press conference, Kallas said the European Commission had prepared several options for restricting trade with Israeli settlements at the request of the Council of the European Union in June, and that the proposals were discussed during Monday's meeting.

The options include a full or partial ban on imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements, tighter export licensing rules, and the imposition of customs duties.

"These measures are not directed against Israel, but against the settlements that undermine the two-state solution," Kallas said.

Under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Israeli products benefit from preferential tariffs under certain conditions.

However, products manufactured in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights do not benefit from this preferential system, although their import into the European Union is not entirely prohibited.

According to EU officials, some exporters have been able to circumvent the existing rules by falsely declaring the origin of products or mixing settlement-produced goods with products manufactured within Israel.

Y.S