Dutch foreign minister resigns after measures against Israel blocked

LONDON

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp has resigned after his proposals for additional measures against Israel were blocked by coalition partners.

According to local reports, Veldkamp said the government had already taken significant steps, but he felt pressure to act further regarding the situation in Gaza City and the West Bank.

With parties VVD and BBB opposing any new measures, he said he no longer trusted that he could implement his plans and decided to step down.

The resignation follows a promise Veldkamp made to the Dutch Parliament to introduce what he called “necessary” measures against Israel, a move he had not coordinated with his coalition partners.

'Line must be drawn'

After Veldkamp's resignation over blocked measures against Israel, Dutch political party NSC withdrew all its ministers and state secretaries from the caretaker government.

NSC leader and Deputy Prime Minister Eddy van Hijum said the party could no longer credibly remain in government, saying: "The Israeli government’s actions violate international treaties. A line must be drawn.”

The resignations leave key ministries, including Interior, Education, and Health, without leadership, adding to uncertainty in the already fragile caretaker cabinet of Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

VVD and BBB criticized NSC’s decision, calling it "irresponsible."

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees confirmed on Friday that famine in Gaza was deliberately caused by the Israeli government, following a formal confirmation by the UN-backed global hunger monitoring system IPC.

Israel has killed nearly 62,300 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.