Tens of thousands Dutch protesters form ‘red line' for Gaza in biggest demonstration against Israel's genocide in 20 years
THE HAGUE, May 19 — Tens of thousands of people turned out yesterday in The Hague to protest the Dutch government's policy on Israel's war on Gaza.
Many protesters dressed in red at the request of the organisers, Oxfam Novib, who wanted to symbolically trace a red line for Gaza.
Rally participants pressed the Dutch government to take action against Israel, arguing that it is committing 'genocide' in Gaza.
Organisers said more than 100,000 people took part, describing it as the largest demonstration in the country in 20 years. Police did not give an estimate.
One demonstrator, 25-year-old Rick Timmermans accused the government of supplying parts for the F-35 warplanes Israel was using for strikes on Gaza.
'Sometimes I'm ashamed of the government because it doesn't want to set any limits,' said 59-year-old schoolteacher Jolanda Nio.
Israel's army announced 'extensive ground operations' Sunday as part of its newly expanded campaign in the Gaza Strip, where rescuers reported dozens killed in a wave of Israeli strikes.
Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Hamas also took 251 hostages during the attack, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.
Gaza's health ministry said Sunday at least 3,193 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,339.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague is hearing a case brought by South Africa arguing that the Gaza war breached the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, an accusation Israel has strongly denied. — AFP
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