Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement distributed by the Kuwait News Agency that welcomed decisions by the Netherlands and Belgium to prohibit imports of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The ministry described the bans as a vital step consistent with international law and directly in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 from 2016 as well as the International Court of Justice advisory opinion issued on July 19, 2024. The statement commended the Dutch and Belgian governments for adopting positions that support established legal standards while urging the broader international community and the Security Council to meet their obligations in confronting settlement activities.
The International Court of Justice summary of its 2024 advisory opinion concluded that Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including settlement expansion, violate international law and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. A United Nations document outlining Security Council Resolution 2334 reaffirms that the establishment of settlements in territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and represents a major obstacle to a two-state solution. The resolution calls for Israel to cease all settlement activity immediately and to abide by its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
According to the ministry’s statement, settlement policies undermine prospects for peace and require collective action to address them effectively. The ministry’s response forms part of Kuwait’s consistent diplomatic position on the issue, which has emphasized adherence to international legality in all related matters. Kuwait has long maintained that such policies alter the demographic character of the occupied areas in ways that complicate any negotiated resolution.
The ministry reiterated in the statement its longstanding support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the creation of an independent state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This stance aligns with positions Kuwait has articulated across multiple regional and international platforms over many years. The foreign ministry has repeatedly called for implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions as the basis for lasting peace in the Middle East.
Figures cited in the International Court of Justice advisory opinion summary indicate that by 2023 approximately 465,000 settlers resided in the West Bank across around 300 settlements and outposts while another 230,000 lived in East Jerusalem. The opinion examined how these settlements, combined with related measures such as land confiscation and restrictions on Palestinian movement, contribute to changes in the territorial status that breach international obligations. The court assessed these developments within the framework of prolonged occupation and associated discriminatory practices.
