Dutch PM Mark Rutte in Riyadh on official visit, talks to involve Gaza crisis

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his accompanying delegation arrived in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Tuesday on an official visit. Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz received Rutte, alongside other Saudi officials.

Rutte was in the Middle East on Monday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mohammad Shtayyeh, leader of the Palestinian Authority. His Saudi trip is also expected to involve the Gaza crisis and the need for joint efforts to avoid escalation.

Taking to X on February 12, the Dutch PM had highlighted that the brutal war between Israel and Hamas continues to “cause suffering on an unacceptable scale”. Hamas militants are holding dozens of hostages and too many civilian lives are being lost in Gaza every day.

“Netherlands maintains good relations with both”

The brutal conflict erupted on October 7 as Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israeli cities, killing some 1,200 people and taking nearly 250 others hostages. The Israeli military’s retaliatory strikes have claimed more than 28,000 lives in the besieged territory.

Furthermore, Mark Rutte mentioned in his social media post that “the Netherlands maintains good relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority and, like other countries, we are using those ties to bring pressure to bear.”

The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of securing an immediate pause in the fighting that results in a permanent cessation of the conflict. He noted his earlier conversations with Netanyahu and Israeli minister Benny Gantz.

Finding a “long-term solution” to the Gaza conflict

During the discussions, Rutte once again made an urgent appeal to reduce the level of force, he said. “Large-scale military action in Rafah would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. In addition, Israel must allow substantially more humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

The Dutch politician also highlighted his talks with Shtayyeh that covered the importance of access to aid and releasing all of the hostages held in the enclave. The raging conflict needs an immediate end as it continues to put the broader Middle East in peril.

“In addition, we discussed the need for a long-term solution to the conflict. That requires a lasting political solution: a viable Palestinian state existing alongside a secure Israel. For this to succeed, the Palestinian Authority also needs to make reforms,” Rutte added in his post.

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