Israel has revoked the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats at the Netherlandsâ âÂÂRepresentative Office in Ramallah, IsraelâÂÂs Foreign Ministry has said.
The countermeasure announced on Sunday comes in response to the Dutch governmentâÂÂs ban on â imports originating â from Israeli settlements in the â occupied West Bank.
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In a statement posted on X, IsraelâÂÂs Foreign Minister Gidoen Saar said, âÂÂIf the Netherlands wishes to continue representing its interests with the Palestinians, it may do so from Palestinian Authority territory, rather than from the territory of the State of Israel.âÂÂ
Israel informed the Dutch embassy that âÂÂdiplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven daysâÂÂ.
Saar said, âÂÂLast month, we removed the Dutch delegation from the International Support Center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, following actions taken by the Dutch Government against Israel. I reiterate: Israel will not ignore measures intended to harm it. Any country that acts in a hostile and unilateral manner against Israel will lose influence and relevance in the region.âÂÂ
Israel has enacted a series of retaliatory measures in response to the United Kingdom, France and Canada announcing sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.
Earlier this month, Israel announced a seven-day deadline for the removal of British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center as one ofÃÂ four countermeasures against the UK for imposing sanctions on illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Netherlands sanctions
The Netherlands brought its ban into force on September 22. The Dutch measure goes further than some others. It bans the import, purchase and sale of goods from illegal Israeli settlements, as well as services facilitating that trade.
Bilateral trade between the Netherlands and Israel totalled about $4.8bn last year. Its significance extends beyond the Dutch market, with the Netherlands serving as a major gateway for goods entering the rest of Europe.
The legal non-profit Global Echo group said the Netherlands accounted for a third of agricultural exports from IsraelâÂÂs illegal settlements and nearly half of those destined for the European Union.