Photo courtesy of Anadolu.
Forty countries have introduced a broad set of measures against Israel, including arms embargoes and travel screenings, in reaction to what they call the “de facto annexation” of the West Bank.
The proposals were presented after a rapid expansion of Israeli settlements, which the group described as a “direct assault” on Palestinian self-determination.
The package includes a total ban on imports of goods from settlements and restrictions on the transfer of arms and military fuel.
Travelers holding Israeli documents, especially those with military service, could face secondary screening at ports of entry under war-crimes inadmissibility rules.
The meeting, co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, stressed that governments face a choice between action and inaction, saying that “history will judge us not by the speeches we delivered, but by the actions we took.”
Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, after launching its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023. Palestinians criticized the escalation, citing killings, arrests, displacement, and settlement expansion as moves toward formal annexation.
The Hague Group meeting is the largest since its creation in 2025. In a 2024 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the removal of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
