Opposition parties pushing to interrupt summer recess over Gaza plight

GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 want parliament to return from summer recess to debate the war in Gaza. The MPs Kati Piri (GL-PvdA) and Jan Paternotte (D66) have stated on X. This comes after hundreds of aid organizations issued an urgent plea about the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian coastal strip.

Earlier this week, the Netherlands joined an urgent appeal from 25 countries calling on Israel to cease the violence in Gaza and allow much more food aid to enter the area.

But the parties feel this is not enough. “The Cabinet is still doing nothing,” Paternotte said. The chances of a majority supporting the call are slim. GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 have a total of 34 seats in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Casper Veldkamp spoke with his EU colleagues about the situation in Gaza last week. Concerns were shared, but the member states were not able to agree on concrete sanctions against Israel.

Piri is calling for the Netherlands to initiate a new meeting and for the Cabinet to begin taking measures within the country.

More than 800 people have been killed in recent weeks trying to reach food in Gaza, according to Reuters. Most of these deaths occurred due to mass shootings by Israeli soldiers who are posted near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution centers.

Israeli forces have killed almost 60,000 Palestinian people since launching their assault on Gaza following the attacks by Hamas in Israel, which killed 1,200 people and captured 251 hostages in October 2023.