Dutch FM's Israel trip cancelled after Netanyahu's arrest warrant

The Hague, Nov 22 A planned trip to Israel by Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Casper Veldkamp has been cancelled, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told national broadcaster NOS on Friday.

The minister was quoted by local media as saying that the decision to cancel the visit was reached through "mutual agreement".

Veldkamp had been set to visit Israel in the coming days, though the exact dates were undisclosed. However, reports indicate the visit was called off after Veldkamp made remarks implying the potential arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

When questioned in the Dutch House of Representatives about how the Netherlands would respond if Netanyahu visited the country, Veldkamp stated that the Israeli Prime Minister would "in principle" be subject to arrest. He further announced the cancellation of all "non-essential" contacts with both Netanyahu and Gallant.

"The Netherlands respects the independence of the ICC and does not interfere with the content of its cases," Veldkamp said, Xinhua news agency reported.