Photograph: Saher Alghorra/The New York TimesThere remains “considerable legal uncertainty” as to whether including services in the Occupied Territories Bill is permissible under European Union (EU) law, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has said. Ms McEntee said the Government has always been clear that enacting the legislation in terms of services is “more complex”. The Fine Gael TD also said she has not yet received the draft Bill, which is aimed at banning trade between Ireland and Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories but expects to “soon”. “The next steps in the process, including the timeline for the progress of the Bill, are being considered by Government,” she said. Mr Ó Laoghaire said the Occupied Territories Bill still mattered and that the Israeli government was “continuing its actions, even now, against the backdrop of a ceasefire”.

Source: The Irish Times November 27, 2025 17:37 UTC