In a powerful display of solidarity, tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of The Hague on Sunday, forming a striking ‘red line’ to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and the severe humanitarian blockade that has gripped the territory for nearly 20 months.
The demonstration, organised by several human rights groups including Amnesty International and Oxfam Novib, called on the Dutch government to take firmer action to halt what they described as a genocide in Gaza. “The people of Gaza cannot wait. The Netherlands has a responsibility to do everything in its power to stop the genocide,” the organisers urged in their public appeal.
Sunday’s protest mirrored a similarly large demonstration last month, previously hailed as the largest pro-Palestine march in the Netherlands in the past two decades. Reports suggest that this weekend’s turnout surpassed that milestone.
Clad in red to symbolise the ‘red line,’ protesters — spanning all generations from children to the elderly — marched past the International Court of Justice (ICJ), chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Stop genocide.” Many carried Palestinian flags and banners that read “Stop Dutch complicity” and “Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die.”
Oxfam Novib’s director, Michiel Servaes, estimated that more than 150,000 people participated in the protest, demanding the Dutch government implement “concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza.”
The protesters also called for an end to Israel’s recent military operations in Iran.
In response, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who leads the caretaker government following the collapse of the ruling coalition on June 3, acknowledged the public outcry. “To all those in The Hague, I say: we see you and we hear you. Our shared goal is to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible,” Schoof posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Schoof reaffirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to facilitating a ceasefire, increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. However, his government has faced mounting criticism for what human rights advocates describe as a double standard — readily condemning alleged war crimes by countries like Russia, but failing to hold Israel accountable for reported violations of international law and its obstruction of humanitarian assistance.
Since Israel’s siege of Gaza began on October 7, 2023, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that at least 55,104 Palestinians have been killed and 127,394 injured as of June 11, 2025.
