THE HAGUE: The Netherlands said Monday it regretted Israel's decision to revoke the diplomatic accreditation of Dutch officials based in the West Bank over the country's sanctions on goods from Israeli settlements.
"I deeply regret this unnecessary decision," Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said, adding that the decision by The Hague to suspend imports from the occupied territories in the West Bank was "not directed against Israel".
The minister said the suspension of the imports came from "the obligation, under international law, not to contribute to an unlawful situation: the illegal settlements".
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Sunday that Dutch officials in the West Bank had seven days to hand over their Israeli-issued diplomatic papers.
"After this period, the diplomatic privileges and immunities granted to them by the State of Israel will expire," Saar wrote on X.
The Dutch government had announced in July that products originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories -- illegal under international law -- would no longer be allowed into the Netherlands as of September 22.
The UK, France and Canada, also announced at the beginning of the month that they would sanction trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, adopting a tougher line toward Israel, which responded by announcing the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem.
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