EU imports funding illegal Israeli settlements, report finds

A new investigation reveals that European countries are importing large amounts of agricultural goods from illegal Israeli settlements. The products are labeled as "Product of Israel," which hides their true origin. The report says this system violates EU law and international law. The study, called *Importing Occupation*, was published by the Global Echo Litigation Center. It analyzed 30,000 export documents linked to more than 6,800 shipments between 2017 and 2026. The findings show that settlement goods enter European markets "in large quantities" and in a systematic way. Most of these products enter the EU through France, the Netherlands, and Germany. These three countries account for 71% of the imports. Spain is the fourth largest receiver, based on data up to September 2025. British lawyer Jessica Stober is the legal director of Global Echo. She said the evidence is "overwhelming." In an interview, she explained that the system is not a series of small mistakes. "The entire system is broken," she said. "It has structural failures and cannot stop widespread abuse." The report highlights a specific case in Spain. More than 75% of shipments from Israel to Spain contained settlement products. In September 2025, Spain banned imports from settlements. But Stober said it is too early to know the impact. Her team only analyzed 35 shipments after the ban and found no settlement goods, but the sample is too small to draw conclusions. Stober noted that the International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian land is illegal. She said settlements are a war crime. "The import of settlement products helps finance these illegal settlements," she said. "It also has a devastating impact on Palestinian communities." The report says settlement agriculture uses large amounts of water. "Water is being diverted from Palestinian communities to irrigate settlement farms," Stober said. "Palestinian villages sometimes do not have enough water for basic needs." Stober called on EU countries and the UK to open investigations. She said governments must re-examine their trade with settlements. "The law is clear," she said. "The EU and its member states must listen." Global Echo plans to take legal action in multiple countries.