Israel may be violating human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and the Netherlands, traditionally a strong ally of Israel within the EU, is now calling for an urgent review of the trade agreement due to what it calls a “catastrophic” blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told The Guardian in a Wednesday interview.
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, the British newspaper confirmed.
In a letter to the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, Veldkamp reportedly requested an urgent review, with discussions expected to take place at a two-day informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Poland this week.
Veldkamp, a former Dutch ambassador to Israel, condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid.
“You cannot starve the people of the Gaza Strip. It is against international law. It’s morally wrong. It’s dangerous. I don’t think it’s in Israel’s interest,” he said in the interview.
'Hamas has to lay down its weapons'
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, and while countries like Ireland and Spain have long pushed for the suspension of the agreement, the Netherlands has until now opposed such moves.
But Veldkamp signaled a change in stance, stating that The Hague would veto any extension of the EU-Israel Action Plan—the framework implementing the association agreement, The Guardian reported.
Veldkamp reportedly emphasized that a ceasefire remained the most effective route to securing hostage releases.
“Hamas has to release the hostages as soon as possible. Hamas has to lay down its weapons. Hamas cannot be part of the future governance of the Gaza Strip,” he said, noting that Egypt, a key facilitator in ceasefire talks, supports a plan for Hamas leadership to leave Gaza, The Guardian noted.