'A war without end is in no one’s interest. The violence and suffering have to stop,' Dick Schoof tells Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu in phone call
The Dutch prime minister on Tuesday reiterated the Netherlands' calls for an immediate ceasefire and a drastic improvement of the situation in Gaza, warning that the intensification of Israeli attacks is worsening an already terrible situation.
In a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, Dick Schoof said he "strongly pressed" for an immediate ceasefire and a drastic improvement to the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza.
"Israel’s intensification of the war in Gaza is only exacerbating an already-catastrophic situation," he said on US social media company X.
Stressing that Israel must comply with the humanitarian agreement with the EU, he also said it is crucial Palestinian group Hamas release all remaining hostages, "lay down its arms and play no role whatsoever in the future of Gaza."
During the conversation, Schoof also highlighted that the Netherlands condemns any step that undermines a two-state solution, such as Israel’s E1 plan for illegal settlements in the West Bank.
On Aug. 20, Israel approved a major settlement project, called E1, which aims to split the occupied West Bank into two parts, cutting off the northern cities of Ramallah and Nablus from Bethlehem and Hebron in the south and isolating East Jerusalem.
"A war without end is in no one’s interest. The violence and suffering have to stop," said Schoof, adding that his country will continue working together with its partners to that end.
Israel has killed more than 63,600 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
