Caspar Veldkamp and other ministers step down after cabinet rejects sanctions against Israel, prompting broader political upheaval.<\/p>\n
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp has resigned after failing to secure cabinet support for additional sanctions against Israel over its military onslaught in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Veldkamp, a member of the centre-right New Social Contract party, said on Friday that he could not achieve agreement on \u201cmeaningful measures\u201d and had repeatedly faced resistance from colleagues over sanctions already in place.<\/p>\n
His efforts included imposing entry bans<\/a> on far-right Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing their role in inciting settler violence against Palestinians.<\/p>\n Veldkamp also revoked three export permits for navy ship components, warning of \u201cdeteriorating conditions\u201d in Gaza and the \u201crisk of undesirable end use\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI also see what is happening on the ground in Gaza, the attack on Gaza City, and what is happening in the West Bank, the building decision for the disputed settlement E1, and East Jerusalem,\u201d Veldkamp told reporters.<\/p>\n His departure leaves the Netherlands without a foreign minister as the European Union navigates security guarantees for Ukraine and continues talks with the United States over tariffs.<\/p>\n Following his resignation, all New Social Contract ministers and state secretaries confirmed their support for Veldkamp and resigned from the caretaker government in solidarity.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera\u2019s Step Vaessen, reporting from Berlin on developments in the Netherlands, said Veldkamp was \u201cunder increasing pressure from lawmakers in parliament, especially from the opposition who have been requesting stricter sanctions against Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n While Veldkamp had announced travel bans for two Israeli ministers a few weeks ago, Vaessen said the foreign minister was facing growing demands after Israel\u2019s attacks on Gaza City and the \u201cincreasing aggression\u201d that the Dutch government \u201cshould be doing more\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cVeldkamp has also been pushing for a suspension of the trade agreement that the EU has with Israel,\u201d Vaessen added, noting that the Dutch foreign minister had \u201cincreasingly become frustrated because Germany was blocking that. So there was also this push from the Dutch parliament that the Netherlands shouldn\u2019t wait anymore for any European sanctions but should put sanctions on Israel alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Europe-Israel relations<\/p>\n Despite limited Dutch sanctions on Israel, the country continues to support the supply chain of Israel\u2019s F-35 fighter jet.<\/p>\n Research<\/a> from the Palestinian Youth Movement shared with Al Jazeera in June shows that ships carrying F-35 components frequently dock at the port of Rotterdam, operated by Danish shipping company Maersk.<\/p>\n The F-35 jets have been used by Israel in air strikes on Gaza, which have left much of the Strip in ruins and contributed to the deaths of more than 62,000 people since October 2023.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, the Netherlands joined 20 other nations<\/a> in condemning Israel\u2019s approval of a large West Bank settlement expansion, calling it \u201cunacceptable and contrary to international law\u201d.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Israel\u2019s military attacks on Gaza continue, forcing civilians from Gaza City southwards amid mounting famine. A global hunger monitor confirmed<\/a> on Friday that residents of Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially facing famine conditions.<\/p>\n No successor to Veldkamp has been announced. The caretaker Dutch government, which has been in place since the collapse of the previous coalition on June 3, is expected to remain until a new coalition is formed following elections in October, a process that could take months.<\/p>\n