Occupied Territories Bill signed into law by President
President Catherine Connolly has signed the Occupied Territories Bill 2026 into law, which prohibits the importation of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. While the law focuses on goods, it excludes services, a limitation that has drawn criticism from supporters who believe it weakens the legislation's impact.
Why it matters
This legislation marks a significant shift in international trade policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, setting a precedent for how nations may handle settlement-produced goods.
The long-awaited bill banning goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories in Palestine has been signed into law, despite ongoing criticism it does not include a ban on services.
President Catherine Connolly signed the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026 into law this afternoon.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the territory, excluding the annexed east Jerusalem, among some three million Palestinians, which is illegal under international law.
The now-law is the Government's version of Independent senator Frances Black's original Occupied Territories Bill, which she first drew up almost a decade ago, in 2018.
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