DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's government has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing legislation that would ban the import of goods from Israeli settlements deemed illegal under international law, even as opposition mounts from the United States.

The renewed pledge came after more than a dozen members of the U.S. Congress urged the Trump administration to add Ireland to a list of countries boycotting Israel if the bill becomes law. Speaking this week, Tánaiste Simon Harris, who also serves as Ireland's foreign minister, said Dublin "intends" to press forward with the draft legislation despite the warnings.

The move comes amid mounting global condemnation of Israel, following its security cabinet's approval of a plan to assume control over Gaza City. The city has already been devastated by Israel's months-long air and ground assault, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, displaced the majority of the population, leveled neighborhoods, and driven the territory to the brink of famine.

Israel's military campaign began after Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. More than half of those hostages have since been released during ceasefires or prisoner exchanges, but 55 remain in captivity — fewer than half of them are believed to be alive.

Ireland's coalition government — comprising Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and a group of Independents — had already committed to passing a ban on goods from occupied Palestinian territories in its January programme for government. A cross-party parliamentary committee has since recommended not only moving forward with the measure but also expanding it to prohibit trade in services linked to the settlements.

Harris stressed that Ireland is not alone in considering such action. "People in Ireland, people in Europe, and people right across the world feel extraordinarily strongly about the genocidal activity we're seeing in Gaza, about the starving children — and we will use all tools at our disposal," he said.

"It's not surprising that some seek to distort or misrepresent our proposed actions. Remember, Ireland isn't alone; this week we saw Slovenia take action on trade from the occupied territories, and I expect Belgium is likely to follow suit."

The bill, if passed, would make Ireland one of the first European Union member states to impose a direct ban on settlement goods — a move that supporters say would uphold international law, but critics warn could strain diplomatic relations with both Israel and the United States.

"Of course, we'll continue to engage and explain and never allow our position to be misrepresented."