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Dutch foreign minister resigns over cabinet deadlock on Israel sanctions
The Dutch foreign minister, Caspar Veldkamp, announced his resignation after the caretaker government in The Hague failed to reach an agreement on imposing new sanctions against Israel. The decision highlights growing divisions within the coalition as the war in Gaza nears its second anniversary.
During a tense cabinet meeting on Friday, Veldkamp pushed for stronger measures in response to Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. However, coalition partners, including the centre-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), opposed further action. Members of Veldkamp’s own party, the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), also walked out in protest.
The dispute followed the Netherlands’ participation in a joint declaration with 20 other countries condemning Israel’s plans to build more than 3,000 housing units in the West Bank. Critics warn that such construction would further fragment Palestinian territories.
Veldkamp, who once served as ambassador to Israel, explained that he was “unable to take meaningful additional steps” under the current political circumstances. In his statement, he stressed that the world was facing “unprecedented geopolitical challenges” where diplomacy remained crucial.
Public pressure has been mounting in the Netherlands. In June, between 100,000 and 150,000 people joined a mass demonstration in The Hague, the largest protest in the country in two decades, urging stronger action against Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
His resignation came as UN-backed experts warned that Gaza City and surrounding areas were experiencing a “man-made famine,” raising fears of a sharp increase in civilian deaths. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has recognized only four famines since 2004, underscoring the severity of the crisis.
The NSC has been part of a caretaker administration since June, following the collapse of the coalition government after far-right leader Geert Wilders withdrew his party from the alliance. The political crisis has set the stage for early elections, scheduled for 29 October.