Dutch MPs have called on foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp to provide a detailed written briefing by Monday about the situation in Gaza, after earlier failing to back calls for parliament to return from recess for a debate, the AD reported on Friday.

GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 have now won broader backing, including from coalition parties such as VVD and NSC, for a written response from the minister, the paper said.  They want Veldkamp to set out whether Israel is allowing sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza and what sanctions could follow if not.

NSC MP Isa Kahraman told the AD 160 trucks a day must enter Gaza and warned that “if Israel does not keep its commitments, the Netherlands must consider national sanctions, such as entry bans for Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich”.

Veldkamp had earlier described Smotrich’s call for the “total destruction” of Gaza as unacceptable, and warned that both ministers have repeatedly incited violence against Palestinians and pushed for ethnic cleansing.

The Netherlands already supports a Swedish initiative within the EU to impose targeted sanctions on both men.

The push from parliament follows an urgent letter from more than 100 aid groups, including Oxfam, CARE and Médecins sans Frontières, warning of a “massive famine” in Gaza. The organisations said their staff were queuing for food and risked being shot. They urged Veldkamp to convene an EU Council meeting and introduce sanctions if needed.

Despite a previous joint statement by the Netherlands and 25 other countries calling on Israel to allow aid in, MPs say the situation has not improved. D66 MP Jan Paternotte said: “There is famine, according to the UN. Time is running out, and the Netherlands has not yet imposed sanctions. The cabinet must act.”

The Dutch foreign ministry said it is applying maximum political and diplomatic pressure to increase aid access. A spokesperson said the government continues to prefer joint EU action, with another round of talks scheduled in Brussels on Tuesday.

Veldkamp has said it is still too early for EU-wide sanctions, but confirmed that 10 potential measures remain “on the table” to act as leverage. These range from suspending trade and introducing a weapons embargo to halting student exchanges.

On Friday, Israel agreed to allow emergency aid airdrops — described by Veldkamp as a “first step” — but he warned that further measures would follow if the situation did not improve quickly.

The cabinet continues to reject proposals for the formal recognition of a Palestinian state – as France has now done – but says it remains committed to a “durable” two-state solution, with both a recognised Israel and an independent Palestine.