Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp expressed concern on Monday over Israel’s decision to cut electricity to the Gaza Strip, stating that it violates international law. In a post on X, Veldkamp emphasized that preventing humanitarian aid and essential services contradicts legal protections for civilian rights.  

Veldkamp called for urgent ceasefire negotiations to secure the release of prisoners, improve Gaza’s humanitarian situation, and end violence. His statement comes as the International Committee of the Red Cross warned of a “serious humanitarian crisis” in Gaza following Israel’s suspension of aid deliveries and electricity to the region’s only water desalination plant.  

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, ended in early March, but Israel has refused to enter the second phase aimed at ending the war. Instead, it has closed all crossings, blocked aid, and cut electricity to the desalination plant, using starvation as a pressure tactic against Hamas.  

Israel has also threatened further escalation, including assassinations, raising fears of a resumption of its genocidal campaign. With U.S. support, Israel’s aggression from October 7, 2023, to January 19, 2025, resulted in over 160,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly children and women, and more than 14,000 missing persons.  

As Gaza faces deepening suffering, the international community’s failure to act decisively allows Israel to continue its violations with impunity. The Netherlands’ condemnation highlights the urgent need for global intervention to uphold international law and protect Gaza’s civilian population.