Tens of thousands march in Amsterdam, pressing Dutch govt on Gaza and Israel

Tens of thousands of people, many dressed in red, marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, demanding stronger action from the Dutch government against Israel over its military campaign in Gaza.

Organisers of the "Red Line" demonstration called on the government to impose tougher trade sanctions on Israel, formally recognise its actions in Gaza as genocide and halt all arms sales to the country.

The Dutch branch of Amnesty International, one of the organisers, said in an online post that more than 200,000 people took part in the march.

"What is happening there is inhumane," said demonstrator Mike van Dongen as he joined the procession, criticising the Dutch government's response to the situation in Gaza.

"As far as I'm concerned, they are doing nothing," he said. "They don't dare take any serious steps."

The protesters marched along a normally busy Amsterdam street that had been closed to traffic for the demonstration. A man standing on a bus stop with a loudspeaker repeatedly shouted, "Free, free Palestine!" as many marchers echoed his call while passing by.

Israel strongly rejects allegations that it is committing genocide in Gaza, where its military campaign began following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas-led militants in southern Israel. The attacks killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.

Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated much of the Gaza Strip.

More than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October 2025, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but says women and children account for roughly half of those killed.

The Gaza war has also strained relations between the Netherlands and Israel. The Dutch foreign minister resigned last year after failing to secure additional sanctions against Israel.

A new minority coalition government has since taken office and introduced a ban on imports of products from Israeli settlements, which the Dutch government and most of the international community consider illegal. The move triggered a diplomatic dispute with Israel.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who joined a similar demonstration last year but did not attend Sunday's march, defended his government's response during his weekly press conference on Friday.

"Every single day and every single week, we do what we can to alleviate the terrible situation there," he said.

Jetten added that his government was "exerting greater political and diplomatic pressure" on Israel to honour its commitments under the Gaza ceasefire.

At the same time, he said, the government was increasing pressure on Hamas and other groups that continue to carry out "various operations that endanger the safety of ordinary Israelis."