More than 200,000 join Amsterdam march against Gaza genocide

Protesters want the Netherlands to halt arms sales to Israel, tighten sanctions and recognise the Gaza genocide Demonstrators take part in a "Red Line" protest demanding "government action to stop the genocide in Gaza" in Amsterdam on October 5, 2025. (Koen van Weel/ANP/AFP) Published date: 9 November 2026 14:46 GMT | Last update: 5 sec ago Tens of thousands of people marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, demanding that the Dutch government end arms sales to Israel and impose tougher trade sanctions over its genocide in Gaza. Many wore red for the Red Line protest, which drew more than 200,000 people, according to Amnesty International’s Dutch branch, one of the organisers. Campaigners called on the Netherlands to formally recognise Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and denounced Israeli apartheid in the occupied West Bank. Crowds chanted “Free, free Palestine!”. “What is happening there is inhumane,” marcher Mike van Dongen told The Associated Press. “As far as I’m concerned, they are doing nothing,” he said. “They don’t dare take any serious steps.” New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Palestinian medical authorities put the death toll in Gaza at 74,643, with 175,962 wounded. The dead include about 22,000 children, and thousands of people remain missing beneath the rubble. Since the 11 October 2025 ceasefire, 1,613 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 5,833 wounded. Israel’s war on Lebanon has killed more than 4,000 people since March. Nearly 80 percent of Britons see Israel as a threat to world peace Read More » The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. In May, Middle East Eye reported that ICC prosecutors had applied under seal for a warrant to arrest Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The Gaza genocide has strained Dutch ties with Israel. Caspar Veldkamp resigned as foreign minister last year after failing to win cabinet backing for further sanctions. The new minority coalition banned imports from illegal Israeli settlements in September. Israel responded by revoking Dutch diplomats' accreditation. Prime Minister Rob Jetten joined a Red Line march last year but skipped Sunday’s protest. At his weekly news conference on Friday, he defended his government’s response. “Every single day and every single week, we do what we can to alleviate the terrible situation there,” he said. He added that his administration is “exerting greater political and diplomatic pressure” on Israel to abide by its agreements on Gaza. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.