Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in The Hague on Sunday to protest the Dutch government’s stance on Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
Organised by Oxfam Novib, many protesters donned red clothing to symbolically draw a “red line” in solidarity with Gaza. The organisers claimed over 100,000 people took part, calling it the largest demonstration in the Netherlands in two decades, although police have not confirmed attendance figures.
The demonstrators demanded that the Dutch government take a firmer position against Israel, accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza.
The protest coincided with Israel’s announcement of “extensive ground operations” in the Gaza Strip as part of its illegal military bombardment of Palestinian territory. Rescuers have reported dozens of deaths during the latest wave of airstrikes.
The recent conflict began during Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of 1,218 Israelis, according to Israeli figures. Hamas also took 251 hostages during the assault, with 57 still believed to be held in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military says are deceased.
Since Israel resumed airstrikes on March 18, Gaza’s health ministry reported at least 3,193 fatalities, bringing the total death toll of the conflict to 53,339, mostly civilian women and children.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice in The Hague is currently hearing a case filed by South Africa alleging that the Gaza conflict breaches the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention. Israel has strongly denied these accusations.
