Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held Dutch authorities responsible for an attack on Egypt’s embassy in The Hague, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday.
Abdelatty raised the issue during a phone call with his Dutch counterpart, Kasper Veldkamp, the statement said. He voiced “deep discontent” over the embassy incident, stressing the host state’s duty under international law to protect diplomatic missions.
The minister warned that repeating such incidents could prompt “reciprocal measures” from Egypt, without elaborating.
According to the Egyptian statement, Veldkamp voiced his dismay during the phonecall, describing what happened as an “isolated” incident and pledging increased police presence around the embassy. He underscored the “close ties” between the two countries, rooted in mutual respect and shared economic and trade interests, as per the statement.
Veldkamp recounted the conversation differently in a post on X. He said he had spoken with Abdelatty about “the latest developments in Gaza ceasefire negotiations and bilateral issues,” praising Egypt’s role in efforts to alleviate suffering in Gaza and mentioning “further options, including the possibility of opening the Rafah border.”
Meanwhile, Veldkamp had condemned vandalism of the Israeli Embassy in The Hague and noted that Egypt’s, Jordan’s, and the UAE’s embassies had also been targeted, in a post on X dated Aug. 12. “We take these incidents very seriously. Diplomatic missions must never become a target of intimidation,” he said adding that “the security of diplomatic missions remains our key priority.”
The incident follows a wave of protests late last month outside Egyptian embassies in several European capitals, where demonstrators accused Cairo of complicity in Gaza’s blockade.
Egypt has repeatedly denied closing the Rafah crossing from its side, blaming restrictions on the Israeli military’s control of the Palestinian side.
Abdelatty last week announced that Egypt would apply the principle of reciprocity with some European states, including the Netherlands, in how police forces secure embassies, citing what he called “negligence” in protecting Egyptian missions.
During a televised interview on Aug. 14, Abdelatty said he had instructed all Egyptian embassies abroad to remain vigilant and prevent any attempts to breach their compounds.
He condemned the July incident in which a protester locked iron chains on the gates of the Egyptian Embassy in The Hague, describing such acts as part of a “malicious campaign” aimed at distracting from Israel’s actions in Gaza.
