Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp has resigned in protest over the coalition government’s refusal to impose sanctions on Israel for its actions in Gaza. The resignation follows the Social Contract (NSC) party’s decision to withdraw from the caretaker coalition government, citing the government’s unwillingness to take punitive measures against Israel. Veldkamp, previously the Dutch ambassador to Israel, had advocated for a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories as a response to the continued military offensive in Gaza.
The NSC party expressed its concern over the increasingly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and sought additional measures against Israel. However, the other two coalition partners refused to support the sanctions, prompting the NSC to pull out in protest. On Thursday, the Netherlands, along with 20 other nations, signed a joint declaration condemning Israeli plans to build an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank. Last month, Amsterdam declared two hardline Israeli ministers persona non grata.
Back in June, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called on the EU to “immediately suspend” the EU-Israel association agreement and impose a ban on arms sales to Israel. In light of the ongoing Israeli military operation in Gaza, a growing number of traditionally pro-Israel Western countries, including France and the UK, have expressed in recent months a readiness to officially recognize Palestinian statehood. Earlier this week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of an operation to take full control of Gaza City.
The conflict erupted after a Hamas incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left about 1,200 people dead and 250 taken hostage. According to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, more than 62,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed by Israeli strikes in the enclave since then.