ISTANBUL

Former Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp has warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies in Gaza have eroded Israel’s legitimacy worldwide, urging an immediate halt to the war.

In remarks broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 on Monday, Veldkamp said the large-scale offensive in Gaza City and the Cabinet’s conduct were “damaging to Israel’s security and ultimately its identity.”

He stressed that the conflict should be brought to a close as soon as possible, saying it is no longer the “defensive and justified” war it appeared to be after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

“I attach great importance to Israel’s security and future, but I strongly disagree with the government’s policy in Gaza. The war must end,” he said. The former minister added that Netanyahu’s government has “definitely lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the world,” despite his own record of pushing Europe to increase pressure on Hamas and to raise the plight of Israeli hostages whenever possible.

Veldkamp, who served as the Netherlands’ ambassador to Israel between 2011 and 2015, resigned Friday after his proposals for additional sanctions against Israel were blocked by coalition partners. He had called for a ban on settlement imports and other measures in response to the planned assault on Gaza City, but coalition parties, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, and the Farmer-Citizen Movement blocked his proposals.

Following his resignation, the centrist New Social Contract party withdrew all its ministers and state secretaries from the caretaker government, citing violations of international law by Israel. NSC leader and Deputy Prime Minister Eddy van Hijum said: “The Israeli government’s actions violate international treaties. A line must be drawn.”

The move left key ministries without leadership, deepening political uncertainty in The Hague.

VVD and BBB criticized NSC’s withdrawal as “irresponsible.”

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday that famine in Gaza was deliberately caused by Israel, following a formal declaration by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Israel has killed nearly 62,700 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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