Dutch foreign minister resigns after measures against Israel blocked

By Aysu Bicer

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

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.

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.