Dutch Minister Urges Israel to ‘Change Course’ as Netherlands Leads Push to Evacuate 1,000 Children from Gaza

The Netherlands, historically one of Israel’s closest European allies, is spearheading an international coalition to medically evacuate at least 1,000 sick and injured children from Gaza as bilateral relations plummet over the conduct of the war, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation told Arab News.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Sjoerd Sjoerdsma said the sheer scale of suffering among Gaza’s children had left his government no choice but to act.

“The number of children in Gaza who are injured or sick is staggering and it is inhumane,” he said. “It is unacceptable that aid is not reaching these children. That is why we must bring those children to their treatment.”

He struck the same urgent tone at a “Call to Action for Palestinian Children” event hosted by the EU, Belgium, and Jordan on Wednesday, where he condemned Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid. “We should call it as it is: it’s a disgrace,” he told delegates.

The Dutch cabinet has announced a €12 million ($13.6 million) package for urgent medical care for children from Gaza, including the evacuation of 250 seriously ill and injured children to Jordan for treatment. The Netherlands will coordinate with the World Health Organization (WHO), with its €6 million contribution funding evacuations under an initiative launched by Jordan’s King Abdullah II in early 2025 to treat 2,000 children from the enclave.

The need vastly exceeds current capacity. According to the WHO, 18,500 patients are awaiting medical evacuation from Gaza, and the Dutch-funded transfers hinge on Israel granting permission for them to leave.

For many Palestinians, evacuation carries a deeper fear: that those who leave will never be permitted to return. “I understand this fear completely, and this is why I am also here in New York,” Sjoerdsma said. The aim is to evacuate at least 1,000 children, ideally by the end of the week, he added, while building “a diplomatic coalition to ensure that those children don’t only get out for medical treatment, but they can also rejoin their family and friends back home in Gaza.”

The Hague argues that treatment within the region is the more humane and efficient option. Sjoerdsma noted that for every Gazan child treated in the Netherlands, 40 to 50 can be treated in Jordan. The Netherlands is also pressing Israel to reopen the medical corridor to the West Bank, where roughly 90 Gazan patients a day received specialist treatment before October 2023.

Sjoerdsma placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on the Israeli government. “We’ve seen a tremendous catastrophe unfold in Gaza, and this isn’t a natural disaster. This is being done by the Israeli government,” he stated. That conviction, he said, has pushed the Netherlands to take a “frontrunner’s role” within the EU in attempting to halt the Israeli government’s actions.

On Tuesday, the Netherlands banned the import, purchase, and sale of goods from illegal Israeli settlements. The measure goes further than similar bans by also covering services that facilitate such trade and attempts to circumvent the restrictions. Given the Netherlands’ role as a major gateway for goods entering Europe, the ban’s reach extends well beyond the Dutch market. More than 10 other countries are now following the Dutch lead, Sjoerdsma said, and The Hague is pushing to freeze the trade portion of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a majority here yet,” he acknowledged. “We really want to make sure that international law, international humanitarian law, and Palestinian lives are put right front and center.”

Sjoerdsma and Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen are working “in tandem” to persuade their European counterparts. “The time for just words is over. We also need actions, and we need actions to ensure that the Israeli government reconsiders its course,” Sjoerdsma said, stressing that the dispute is with the country’s leadership, not its people. “We’re great friends with the Israeli population. We care for their security, but with their government we have major problems.”

Mending ties, he said, depends on four conditions: Israel must adhere to international law and international humanitarian law; allow unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza; cease settlement activity in the West Bank; and demonstrate a constructive attitude toward the two-state solution, proving that a Palestinian state and an Israeli state can exist side by side.

The Netherlands was not among the Western nations that recognized Palestine around last year’s high-level conference on the two-state solution co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France. The Dutch government maintains that recognition must serve the political process, with parties negotiating toward a secure Israel and a viable Palestinian state—a question Sjoerdsma described as “hotly debated” in a divided parliament.

“But where we aren’t divided, neither the cabinet nor the parliament, is that we need to do everything we can to make sure that international law is being restored and that Palestinians are getting the help they need,” he said. “When lives are on the line, this is what we must do.”

The shift in The Hague mirrors a transformation in Dutch society. An Ipsos I&O survey in September 2025 found that 58 percent of Dutch respondents wanted their government to be more critical of Israel and take stronger action against it. The mood has permeated cultural life as well: public broadcaster AVROTROS declined to participate in or broadcast the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest because of the war in Gaza.

For Sjoerdsma, that shift is the message he is carrying to Israeli officials. “I think it shows a fundamental shift in Dutch public opinion as to our relationship with the Israeli government,” he said. “This is also what I’m telling our Israeli colleagues: Please help us renew our friendship. Change your course.”

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