Dutch FM summons Israeli ambassador over deaths of 15 aid workers in Gaza
A Palestinian man inspects the damage at an ambulance repair yard hit in Israeli strikes in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on March 24, 2025. (AFP Photo)
The Dutch Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, has summoned Israel’s Ambassador to The Hague to explain the deaths of 15 medical and humanitarian aid workers in Gaza, who were found dead next to their vehicles following an Israeli airstrike.
In a letter addressed to the House of Representatives, Veldkamp stated that the Israeli Ambassador will attend the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday at his request.
The Israeli Ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at my request to provide an explanation regarding recent events and developments in the Gaza Strip.
Dutch Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp
Local media reports indicated that the summoning was directly linked to the deaths of the 15 aid workers, who were killed on March 23 in an Israeli strike and found beside their vehicles in Gaza.
Netherlands condemns attack on aid workers
The Dutch government had already condemned the attack on April 2.
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Reinette Klever described the Israeli strike as “horrific” and “unacceptable” in a speech to Parliament.
She also expressed deep concern for aid workers operating under risk in Gaza and criticized Israel’s blockade of the territory.
Foreign Minister Veldkamp further stated in a television interview on April 6 that the attack on aid workers appeared to be “a violation of the laws of war” and emphasized the gravity of the incident.
“The suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is unbearable,” he said, calling for a thorough and credible investigation into the Israeli strike that led to the deaths of the 15 medical and humanitarian workers.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof echoed the concerns after meeting with representatives from humanitarian organizations.
In a post on social media, Schoof wrote:
“The suffering in Gaza is horrific. The images are heartbreaking and impossible to ignore.”
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