THE HAGUE - The caretaker Dutch government has announced measures against Israel due to the “unbearable and indefensible” situation in Gaza, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a letter to parliament. The Netherlands will impose a travel ban on the Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, and has summoned the Israeli ambassador, NOS reports.
The government will impose sanctions on the extremist Israeli Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir and register them as undesirable aliens, which means they will not be allowed to enter the Netherlands. Smotrich and Ben-Vgir have repeatedly incited violence against the Palestinian population, advocated for the expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territory, and called for ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, the Dutch government said.
When speaking to the Israeli ambassador, Veldkamp will again strongly urge Israel to change its course on Gaza and comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, the Minister said.
In Europe, the Netherlands will push to suspend the trade section of the association agreement with Israel.
The Netherlands will also restrict the export of weapons to Israel by amending several permits, Veldkamp said. He called it “virtually impossible” that the Netherlands would grant an export permit for weapons to Israel in the current situation.
To contribute to the supply of the Gaza Strip, the Netherlands will contribute 1.5 million euros to the UN Office for Support Services and an additional 3 million euros to the Red Cross, Veldkamp said.
The caretaker government agreed on these measures on Monday during an emergency consultation with Prime Minister Dick Schoof, the Deputy Prime Ministers, Veldkamp, and Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. They interrupted their summer recess for the meeting, likely due to increasing pressure from aid organizations worldwide, opposition parties, and Dutch citizens.
After the meeting, Schoof said that the Netherlands would also advocate for additional measures against Israel within the EU. So far, the EU Ministers have been unable to agree on any measures to pressure Israel into stopping its attacks on and starvation of the Gaza Strip.
Schoof also said that he called the Israeli president Isaac Herzog to inform him about the Dutch measures. Herzog later said on X that taking such steps would be a “HUGE mistake,” especially given “Israel’s ongoing and upgraded humanitarian efforts.” He also complained about Schoof not mentioning the Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas.
Israel’s death toll
As of July 28, Israel has killed at least 59,921 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including over 17,400 children, Al Jazeera reported based on the latest figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. 147 people have starved to death, including 88 children. At least 145,233 people are injured, and thousands are still missing, buried under the rubble.
Israel cut off humanitarian aid to Gaza on March 2 and has let in only sporadic trickles since. One in ten children in Gaza is malnourished, and at least 40,500 children are injured.
Israel’s incessant attacks started as retaliation for a terrorist attack Hamas committed on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing at least 1,139 people.
Dutch gov’t doing “shamefully little,” aid organizations say
Dutch aid organizations are pleased that the government is finally doing something, but say that it is not doing enough. “It’s something, some progress is being made, but it’s shamefully little and far too late,” director Gerard Jonkman of the human rights organization The Rights Forum told ANP. “We welcome the potential sanctions now announced, but they don’t go nearly far enough.”
“All international pressure and the threat of sanctions against Israel to open the doors to aid in Gaza is very welcome. But we must first see to what extent the sanctions will actually be effective, or whether Israel will relent,” a spokesperson for the Dutch Red Cross told the news wire. “People in Gaza really cannot wait any longer. People are dying of hunger. We have been calling for months for unhindered and constant access to provide people with sufficient food and good medical care. The fact remains that we still have to see how this works, because it seems like a small step, and major steps are needed. People in Gaza desperately need it, and for some, it is already too late.”
