Demissionary Prime Minister Dick Schoof says the concerns, unrest, and anger in the Netherlands about the “catastrophic situation” in Gaza are justified. The humanitarian situation there has reached a “new low.” He does not mention concrete steps against Israel.
The cabinet believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “must take a different course” and allow humanitarian aid to Gaza. Schoof does not mention concrete measures. “The cabinet is constantly considering how the Netherlands can act as effectively as possible and, with European partners, increase the pressure to improve this terrible situation,” says the prime minister.
People in Gaza must “immediately have unhindered and safe access to humanitarian aid,” the cabinet states. Israel must comply with humanitarian law of war. Schoof emphasizes the urgency of a ceasefire so that hostages can be released by Hamas. The cabinet continues to support a two-state solution in which there is no place for Hamas.
Pressure on the cabinet to speak out about Gaza has increased recently. GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 are advocating a sharper condemnation and want the House of Representatives to return from the summer recess for a debate. The direct cause was the distress call from more than a hundred humanitarian organizations about the hunger in the area. The call did not find enough support.
Mayor Femke Halsema also urged, on behalf of the Amsterdam city council, a sharp condemnation of the hunger and violence in Gaza by the cabinet. She called for turning the words into policy.
Earlier this week, the Netherlands, together with 27 other countries, signed a statement calling for an end to the war. They also expressed criticism of the deaths of Palestinian civilians who were trying to get humanitarian aid. But that did not go far enough for mainly left-wing parties.
Also call from London, Paris, and Berlin
Schoof is not the only European leader to speak out on Friday. After a consultation, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France called on Israel to immediately allow more aid into the Gaza Strip. The three countries demand that Israel immediately lift the restrictions on aid so that the United Nations and other organizations can do their work against the famine.
“The humanitarian disaster we are seeing in Gaza must end now,” the joint statement said. According to the countries, the civilian population must immediately be provided with essential resources such as water and food. “Denying humanitarian aid is unacceptable.” They urge an immediate ceasefire.
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he wanted to recognize a Palestinian state in September. A day later, his British counterpart Keir Starmer said that recognition of such a state is “one of the steps” needed for peace in Gaza. “But it must be part of a larger plan that leads to a two-state solution,” the prime minister said.