World
Amsterdam Protesters Demand Dutch Government Take Stronger Action Against Israel Over Gaza
By PTI
On Sunday, November 8, 2026, tens of thousands of people, many wearing red, marched through Amsterdam in a demonstration organized by the “Red Line” movement. The protest aimed to pressure the Dutch government to adopt more decisive measures against Israel over the Gaza conflict. Organizers called for stricter trade sanctions on Israel, an official declaration that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide, and a halt to all arms sales to the country. The Dutch branch of Amnesty International, one of the organizers, reported that more than 200,000 people joined the march. Mike van Dongen, walking in the crowd, said, “What is happening there is inhumane,” and criticized the Dutch government, stating, “As far as I’m concerned, they are doing nothing. They don’t dare take any serious steps.” The march took place on a normally busy street that was closed to traffic. A man at a bus stop used a loudspeaker to shout “Free, free Palestine!” and many marchers echoed the call. Israel rejects claims that it is committing genocide in Gaza, a military campaign that began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas‑run government, more than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since a ceasefire in October 2025, with women and children making up roughly half of the dead. The Gaza campaign has strained Dutch‑Israeli relations. The Dutch Foreign Minister resigned last year after failing to secure new sanctions against Israel. A new minority coalition government has since introduced an import ban on products from Israeli settlements, a move the Dutch government and most of the international community consider illegal, provoking a diplomatic spat with Israel. Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who had participated in a march last year but was not present on Sunday, defended his government’s actions at a press conference on Friday, November 6, 2026. He said, “Every single day and every single week, we do what we can to alleviate the terrible situation there,” and added that his administration was “exerting greater political and diplomatic pressure” on Israel to abide by its agreements on Gaza while also applying more pressure on Hamas and other groups that continue to carry out operations that endanger the safety of ordinary Israelis.