Israel has begun a new attack on Gaza City and has simultaneously approved the construction of thousands of new settler homes in the West Bank. Strong national sanctions are the only right response from the Dutch cabinet. If the Minister of Foreign Affairs does not draw a red line again, GroenLinks-PvdA will withdraw confidence in the minister during the Gaza debate on August 21.

The Israeli government is once again choosing escalation with catastrophic consequences. The army has begun taking over Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are surviving in the most horrific conditions. Airstrikes have intensified in recent days. Meanwhile, Israel is approving new illegal settlements in the West Bank, explicitly aiming to make a Palestinian state permanently impossible.

The least the Minister of Foreign Affairs can and must do immediately is to declare a weapons embargo and impose a ban on trade with illegal settlements. These options were already on the table weeks ago at the cabinet, but even now no steps are being taken.

To stop this genocide and save lives, pressure must be maximized. If Minister Veldkamp is still not willing to impose strong national sanctions against Israel during the parliamentary debate on Thursday, August 21, GroenLinks-PvdA will withdraw confidence in the minister. Action is needed now.