Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns After Failing To Push Sanctions On Israel

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Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp stepped down Friday evening after failing to win support for new sanctions against Israel over its war in Gaza.

Veldkamp, 61, told parliament earlier this week that he intended to introduce measures in response to Israel’s planned offensive in Gaza City and other densely populated areas. But when coalition partners rejected the proposal, he said he could no longer carry out the policies he believed necessary.

“I am unable to implement policy myself and chart the course I deem necessary,” the former ambassador to Israel said in his resignation statement.

Cabinet in Disarray

Veldkamp’s departure triggered the resignation of the remaining Cabinet members from his center-right New Social Contract party, plunging the Dutch caretaker government into deeper turmoil.

“In short, we are done with it,” said party leader Eddy van Hijum, adding that Israel’s military actions were “diametrically opposed to international treaties.”

The broader coalition had already collapsed in June when far-right leader Geert Wilders withdrew his support over disagreements on immigration policy. Since then, the three remaining parties have governed in caretaker mode ahead of elections scheduled for October.

Mounting Pressure Over Gaza

The resignations came as international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza intensified. The world’s leading authority on food crises reported Friday that Gaza’s largest city is experiencing famine, with risks of it spreading further unless a ceasefire is reached and restrictions on aid are lifted.

In The Hague, debates over sanctions against Israel were repeatedly delayed this week, frustrating opposition lawmakers. “There’s a famine, ethnic cleansing, and genocide going on,” said Kati Piri of the Green Left/Labor alliance. “And our cabinet has been deliberating for hours about whether to take any action at all. Shameful.”

A Controversial Proposal

Veldkamp had pushed for a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. But resistance within the coalition stalled the plan. Opposition parties, angered by what they described as government inaction, had already threatened a no-confidence vote before his resignation.

The Dutch political crisis adds to mounting tensions across Europe over how to respond to Israel’s escalating military campaign in Gaza, as calls for accountability and stronger measures grow louder.

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