Several members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on the EU on Tuesday to halt trade with illegal Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory, as pressure grows on Brussels to take concrete action against settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
During a plenary debate with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, lawmakers urged the bloc to ban goods and services originating from Israeli settlements, arguing that continued trade undermines international law and the prospects of a two-state solution.
Kallas said a large number of EU member states had also raised the issue during Monday's Foreign Affairs Council meeting and called for concrete proposals regarding trade with illegal settlements.
She reiterated that Israel's plans to rapidly expand settlements in the occupied West Bank are "not in line with international law" and further undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
Belgian MEP Hilde Vautmans from the Renew Europe group referred to newly emerged footage showing an Israeli soldier targeting a family in the occupied West Bank last week, resulting in the death of a seven-month-old baby.
"He is dead, and almost no one is speaking his name," Vautmans said, arguing that a climate of impunity in Israel and the occupied territories devalues the lives of Palestinian children.
German MEP Hannah Neumann of the Greens group said there is no ceasefire in Gaza and accused violent occupiers in the West Bank of destroying the remaining prospects for a two-state solution.
"This is the madness you get when no one cares about international law anymore, and civilians pay the price in Gaza, Israel, Lebanon and beyond, and Europe remains painfully divided," she said, urging the EU to completely stop trade with Israeli settlements.
Irish MEP Lynn Boylan from the Left group accused the EU of refusing to act for nearly a decade, calling for a ban on goods and services originating from illegal settlements and urging EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic to take action.
"The International Court of Justice confirmed trade with the settlements is illegal. Now we need the trade commissioner to turn up, do his job and ban this illegal trade," she said.
Cautious optimism around US-Iran agreement
During the debate, Kallas also said the agreement between the US and Iran to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz could represent a breakthrough, creating room for broader talks on Iran's nuclear program and regional stability.
She said any lasting settlement must be fully consistent with international law and subject to verification, while praising mediation efforts led by Pakistan and Qatar and the constructive engagement of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Egypt.
Kallas also said the EU rejects measures that would impose additional costs on maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and is coordinating with international partners to safeguard freedom of navigation.
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