"Sanctions not excluded" if Israel opens large-scale attack on Rafah: Dutch PM Rutte

Sanctions against Israel are among the possible steps the Netherlands will take if Israel opens a large-scale attack on Rafah in southern Gaza, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament. If the Netanyahu government launches the attack, the outgoing will meet “immediately” to discuss possible steps.

Rutte would not say what steps the Cabinet is considering. “Sanctions are not excluded.” Such an attack will have “political consequences.” Israel is also very well aware of this, he said. An attack will be a “game changer” and cause a “humanitarian disaster.” Rutte said he has no concrete indications that Israel wants to launch the attack.

He said he has “very serious concerns” about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. According to the United Nations, famine can break out at any time. Israel can do “much more” about the situation in the coastal area where it has 2.3 million people locked up. The Dutch Prime Minister would not say that Israel is using hunger as a weapon. That will have to be determined independently,” Rutte said.

“If this does not improve, we will also have to look at our position here,” the Prime Minister said. He believes that the “small improvements” that Israel has made are completely insufficient. Israel must open its port directly north of Gaza to unload aid. The country must also open more border crossings and allow aid to enter more easily.

Part of the Kamer wants punitive measures against Israel if it starts an operation in Rafah. Something like that must have “political consequences,” said Jan Paternotte (D66). Jesse Klaver (GroenLinks-PvdA) believes sanctions should be imposed if Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu does not quickly allow more aid on a massive scale. That goes too far for Rutte. Threatening with sanctions when it comes to aid “doesn’t help,” he thinks.

Israel has killed at least 31,819 Palestinians and injured another 73,934 in attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, Al Jazeera reported based on figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. At least 8,000 people are missing under the rubble. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that children in Gaza are on the brink of starving to death.

On Wednesday, Israel attacked Gaza’s largest hospital, al-Shifa Hospital. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli forces stormed the facility, and there were many explosions in the surrounding neighborhoods. Israel reported that “dozens” of people were killed and around 300 arrested during this assault.

Ambassadors critical of Netherlands’ stance

Sixty-two former ambassadors have signed a statement against the Dutch government’s policy on Israel. They reject that the Netherlands “persists in indirectly supporting and tolerating gross and large-scale Israeli war crimes in Gaza and other Palestinian occupied areas.”

They called this “completely reprehensible and a gross undermining of the international legal order and peace.” The former ambassadors called on the Senate and the government to refrain from ratifying the defense treaty with Israel in this situation.

The number of signatories has doubled compared to early March when 28 former ambassadors drew up the statement, former ambassador Rob Vermaas said.

Netherlands sends more aid to Gaza

The Netherlands is releasing 10 million euros for emergency humanitarian aid via the sea to Gaza. The money will go to an international fund from which the aid will be paid, outgoing Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen (Development Cooperation) announced during a visit to Cyprus, from where aid is shipped to the Gaza Strip.

Gaza is on the brink of famine. Humanitarian aid enters Gaza only to a very limited extent. Israel wants to control all aid and, according to aid organizations, sets too strict requirements.

“The civilian population of Gaza urgently needs much more food, water, and medical aid. The Netherlands urges all parties to expand land access: that is the most effective way to get large amounts of aid into Gaza. As long as that does not happen, we will continue to investigate all options. We already contribute with airdrops and now also with assistance by sea,” Van Leeuwen said.

The aid by sea will go through a maritime corridor from Cyprus. The first food shipment has already arrived in Gaza along this route. The Americans are building a temporary emergency port to quickly land aid in the Gaza Strip. The fund from which this aid will be paid will be established by the United Nations, Cyprus, the European Union, the United States and other international partners.

The government has provided 56 million euros in extra aid to Gaza since the war started. A large part of that money went to UNRWA, the main UN aid agency for Gaza. Van Leeuwen has suspended new support to UNRWA because twelve employees are allegedly involved in terrorist acts against Israel.