The Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp on Friday resigned from his caretaker government after failing to secure cabinet support on additional sanctions against Israel over its genocide in Gaza.

 

Veldkamp, a member of the centre-right New Social Contract party, told reporters that he could not achieve agreement on “meaningful measures” and had repeatedly faced resistance from colleagues over sanctions already in place.

 

“I 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,” Veldkamp maintained.

Last month, he declared far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich unwelcome in the Netherlands, citing their role in inciting settler violence against Palestinians.

 

His effort also included revoking three export permits for navy ship components, warning of “deteriorating conditions” in Gaza and the “risk of undesirable end use”.

 

Following his resignation, all New Social Contract ministers and state secretaries confirmed their support for Veldkamp and reportedly resigned from the caretaker government in solidarity.

 

No successor to Veldkamp has been announced as of yet. The caretaker Dutch government, in place since the collapse of the previous coalition on June 3, is expected to remain until a new coalition is formed after elections in October, which may take months.

 

The Netherlands was among 21 countries that signed a joint declaration on Thursday condemning Israel’s approval of a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank, calling it “unacceptable and contrary to international law”.