Egyptian Foreign Ministry Building.
In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the move reflects support for justice and represents a practical and responsible application of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.
Foremost among these, the ministry said, is UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334, which affirms that Israeli settlements are illegal and calls for an immediate halt to settlement activity to preserve the prospects for peace and a two-state solution.
In line with its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, Egypt called on all European Union (EU) member states and the wider international community to follow the example of Belgium and the Netherlands by adopting similar legal measures to ban products originating from Israeli settlements.
Cairo reiterated that security and peace in the Middle East can only be achieved by ending the occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their legitimate right to self-determination.
The ministry also stressed the importance of establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
On Tuesday, the Netherlands’ government announced that it would ban imports from Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories, effective from 22 September.
The Netherlands joins other EU countries, including Belgium, Ireland, and Spain, that have imposed restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in response to the war in Gaza.
The decision comes amid increasing calls for the 27-member EU to impose restrictions in response to Israel's genocide in Gaza and rising violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including an EU-wide ban on products originating from Israeli settlements.
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