Tens Of Thousands Rally In Dutch Gaza Protest
Tens of thousands of people dressed in red marched through the streets of The Hague Sunday to demand more action from the Dutch government against what they termed a "genocide" in Gaza.
Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organised the demonstration through the city to the International Court of Justice, creating a so-called "red line".
Many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting "Stop the Genocide", the demonstrators turned a central park in the city into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon.
Protesters brandished banners reading "Don't look away, do something", "Stop Dutch complicity", and "Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die".
Organisers urged the Dutch government -- which collapsed on June 3 after a far-right party pulled out of a fragile coalition -- to do more to rein in Israel.
"People in Gaza cannot wait and the Netherlands has a duty to do everything it can to stop the genocide," they said in their call to action.
Dodo Van Der Sluis, a 67-year-old pensioner, told AFP: "It has to stop. Enough is enough. I can't take it anymore."
"I'm here because I think it's maybe the only thing you can do now as a Dutch citizen, but it's something you have to do," she added.
A previous protest in The Hague on May 18 drew more than 100,000 people, according to organisers, who described it as the country's largest demo in 20 years.
Police did not give an estimate for that demonstration.
The Gaza war was sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
That assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
The militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 54 are still thought to be held in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military has said are dead.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 55,207 people, the majority of them civilians.
The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
The International Court of Justice is currently weighing a case brought by South Africa against Israel, arguing its actions in Gaza breach the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
Israel strongly rejects the accusations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
an hour ago
- DW
US moves stealth bombers to Pacific, amid Iran tensions – DW – 06/21/2025
Several US B-2 bombers took off from a US base and were headed across the Pacific, according to media reports. The bombers can carry the only weapon capable of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear have suggested that Iran may be rapidly running out of missiles, and Israel could be burning through its stocks of interceptor missiles to shoot them down. How much longer can both parties carry on fighting? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Yemen's rebel Houthis said they will target US ships in the Red Sea if the White House chooses to join Israel in attacking Iran, the group's military spokesperson said on Saturday. The group released a pre-recorded video statement by Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree. "In the event of the American involvement in the attack and aggression against Iran with the Israeli enemy, the armed forces will target its ships and warships in the Red Sea," Saree said. The US and the Houthis had just recently agreed to a ceasefire in May, where both sides had pledged to not target the other. Some 1,300 people rallied in Berlin to call for the ouster of Iran's government, according to police estimates. Organizers, however, said several thousand people took part in the demonstrations. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an organization of exiled Iranians, called for the march. The group is calling for the fall of the current regime, but backs a transition of power brought about by the Iranian people. The group has called out increased repression against members of the Iranian opposition and a wave of executions. The NCRI was founded in 1981 following the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the previous regime under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The dissident group is controversial, with opposition members both inside and outside Iran largely rejecting it. Spokesperson Javad Dabiran said people from all over Germany joined the Berlin march. He called on European nations to break off relations with Tehran. Several US B-2 bombers appeared to have taken off from a US base and were headed across the Pacific, reported on Saturday. The US newspaper said the move comes as President Donald Trump was set to return to the White House on Saturday for a meeting with his national security team on whether to join Israeli attacks on Iran. Citing two anonymous government officials, Reuters news agency reported that bombers were being sent to a US base on Guam. The B-2 bomber is capable of carrying a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb that experts say would be needed for an attack on Iran's Fordo enrichment facility, which is buried deep in a mountainside. It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions, Reuters said. Germany has temporarily relocated the staff of its embassy in Tehran due to the current threat situation, a Foreign Ministry official told Reuters news agency and the German ARD public broadcaster on Saturday. On its website, the embassy has posted that it is "closed to visitors until further notice," urging people to refrain from going to the embassy or the consulate building and that appointments had been canceled. The Foreign Ministry said that despite the closure in Tehran, he embassy remains operational and can be contacted via phone by Germans who are still in Iran, adding it would continue to advise on how people could leave the country by land. Iran acknowledged on Saturday that a German cyclist had been detained on allegations of spying. The man has been accused of recording and transmitting coordinates and locations of sensitive military and nuclear facilities, Iranian news agency Mehr reported. The agency posted a video on Telegram purportedly showing the arrest of the young cyclist in the northwestern province of Markazi near the Arak nuclear facility. Read the whole story here. The United Nations on Saturday warned of a looming humanitarian threat posed by the current military conflict between Israel and Iran, which has now passed the one-week mark. "This region has already endured more than its share of war, loss and displacement. We cannot allow another refugee crisis to take root," said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees. Grandi said, "The time to de-escalate is right now. Once people are forced to flee, there's no quick way back — and all too often, the consequences last for generations." The UN refugee agency UNHCR said intense bombardments had already begun to spark mass movements of individuals fleeing to shelter in both Israel and Iran, with some seeking access to neighboring countries. Western nations, meanwhile, have been feverishly extracting citizens from both countries and issuing travel warnings to keep people out of harm's way. The UNHCR says that if the conflict continues — and there are currently no signs of it calming anytime soon — Iran's citizens and its roughly 3.5 million person refugee population (mainly Afghans) will face renewed uncertainty and hardship. Hundreds of US citizens have departed Iran by land over the past week since the start of a war between Israel and Iran, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters news agency. While many left without problem, "numerous" citizens had faced "delays and harassment" while trying to exit, the cable said. It said, without giving further details, that one unidentified family had reported that two US citizens attempting to leave Iran had been detained. The State Department also kept in place its recent warning to US citizens not to travel to Iraq. On June 11, the State Department ordered all US personnel out of the country due to regional tensions. The department's website advises "do not travel to Iraq for any reason," citing terrorism, unrest, kidnapping and other reasons for the decision. The site goes on to warn that terrorists and insurgent groups regularly attack Iraqi security forces, US civilians and international companies. Moreover, the warning instructs US government personnel who remain in Iraq to exhibit extreme caution, advising individuals not to travel "near armed groups or Iraq's northern borders." Paris and its European partners, London and Berlin, will "accelerate negotiations" with Tehran, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, a day after talks between the four countries ended with no progress. "I am convinced that a path exists to end war and avoid even greater dangers," Macron said in a statement on X after a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. During the call, which Macron said was initiated by his Iranian counterpart, the French president reiterated his demand for the release of French citizens Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris. The French couple were arrested during a tourist trip to Iran in 2022 and have since been held on espionage charges that they vehemently deny. Macron also said he expressed "deep concern" regarding Iran's nuclear program and stressed again that the country "must never acquire nuclear weapons." "And it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful," he said. Pakistan said on Saturday it would recommend US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for helping resolve the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. The announcement comes as Trump says he will decide within 14 days whether to join Israel in its military strikes on Iran, with some Pakistani analysts saying such a nomination might persuade him against doing so. "President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi, which de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation," Pakistan said. "This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker." Trump announced a ceasefire in May to end a four-day conflict between the two, but India has denied he played a role bringing it about, despite Pakistan's assertion to the contrary and the US president's claim to have saved millions of lives. Pakistan's announcement also follows an unprecedented lunch at the White House for Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir. Trump has often voiced the desire to become a Nobel Peace Laureate. It would be "very regrettable" and "very dangerous for everybody" if the US were to join Israel in carrying out military strikes on Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, according to broadcaster Al Jazeera. His remarks come after US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would decide within the next two weeks whether to intervene in the conflict. Araghchi said Tehran had "unfortunately" concluded that the US had, in fact, been involved in Israel's military action from the outset, though Washington has denied such accusations. He also reiterated in Istanbul that Tehran would only join negotiations to end the conflict if Israel halted its attacks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday told Muslim foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul that the Middle East has an "Israel problem." A group of some 40 Muslim diplomats are in the Turkish city to discuss the current military conflict between Israel and Iran. Fidan implored colleagues from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to stand with Iran. "Israel is now leading the region to the brink of total disaster by attacking Iran, our neighbor," he told the summit. Pointing to Israel's military engagement in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and now Iran, Fidan urged those in power to do everything possible to prevent the current stand-off from spiralling into a wider regional conflagration. Police in Iran's Qom province said Saturday that 22 people "linked to Israeli spy services" had been arrested since June 13, when Israel launched its attacks on the Islamic Republic, Fars news agency reported. According to the pro-government INSA news agency, they are also accused of "unsettling public opinion" and "supporting the criminal regime" of Israel. The detainees are being held in the province, INSA said. Iranian media have reported that dozens of people have been taken into custody across the country in recent days. Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said at least 223 people have been arrested nationwide on charges related to collaboration with Israel, cautioning that the actual figure was likely higher. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Turkey on Saturday to attend a meeting with Arab League diplomats that was called for by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Tehran. "The foreign minister arrived in Istanbul this morning to participate in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers' meeting," Iran's Tasnim news agency reported. The meeting comes after Araghchi met with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva on Friday. The Arab League ministers are expected to release a statement following their meeting, according to the Turkish state news agency Anadolu. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Israel's military said Saturday its navy has hit a Hezbollah "infrastructure site" near the southern Lebanese city of Naqoura. The site was said to have been a position of the Iran-backed militia's elite unit, known as the "Radwan Force." The military said the site was used by Hezbollah "to advance terror attacks against Israeli civilians. In a separate statement on Saturday, the Israeli military said the air force had "struck and eliminated" a Hezbollah militant near Baraashit in south Lebanon the previous day. Lebanon's official National News Agency cited the Health Ministry as saying one person was killed in a "strike carried out by an Israeli enemy drone on a motorcycle" in the village. Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire at the end of November, the terms of which included Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon as well as an end to Hezbollah's armed presence in southern Lebanon by a 60-day deadline, which was later extended to mid February. Both sides accuse each other of violations. As part of the truce, Lebanon's army has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure. However, earlier in June it warned that the Israeli military's ongoing violations and "refusal to cooperate" with the ceasefire monitoring mechanism "could prompt the [Lebanese] military to freeze cooperation" on site inspections.
Int'l Business Times
3 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Tens Of Thousands Join Pro-Palestinian Marches In London And Berlin
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London and Berlin on Saturday calling for an end to the war in Gaza, amid concerns that the Iran-Israel conflict could spark wider regional devastation. Protesters in the British capital waved Palestinian flags, donned keffiyeh scarves and carried signs including "Stop arming Israel" and "No war on Iran" as they marched in the sweltering heat. "It's important to remember that people are suffering in Gaza. I fear all the focus will be on Iran now," said 34-year-old Harry Baker, attending his third pro-Palestinian protest. "I don't have great love for the Iranian regime, but we are now in a dangerous situation," he added. There have been monthly protests in the British capital since the start of the 20-month-long war between Israel and Hamas, which has ravaged Gaza. Saturday's march comes amid heightened global tensions as the United States mulls joining Israel's strikes against Iran. Cries of "Palestine will be free" rang out as protesters carried signs saying "Hands off Gaza" or "Stop starving Gaza". Gaza is suffering from famine-like conditions according to UN agencies in the region following an Israeli aid blockade. Gaza's civil defence agency has reported that hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach the US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution sites. "People need to keep their eyes on Gaza. That's where the genocide is happening," said 60-year-old protester Nicky Marcus. "I feel frustrated, angry because of what's happening in Gaza," said 31-year-old data analyst Jose Diaz. "It's in everyone's eyes. It's still on after so many months," Diaz added. The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached at least 55,637 people, according to the health ministry. Israel has denied it is carrying out a genocide and says it aims to wipe out Hamas after 1,219 people were killed in Israel by the Islamist group's October 7, 2023, attack. A 31-year-old Iranian student who did not want to share her name, told AFP she had family in Iran and was "scared". "I'm worried about my country. I know the regime is not good but it's still my country. I'm scared," she said. Tehran said over 400 people have been killed in Iran since Israel launched strikes last week claiming its arch-foe was close to acquiring a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. Some 25 people have been killed in Israel, according to official figures. In Berlin, more than 10,000 people gathered in the centre of the city in support of Gaza, according to police figures. "You can't sit on the sofa and be silent. Now is the time when we all need to speak up," said protestor Gundula, who did not want to give her second name. For Marwan Radwan, the point of the protest was to bring attention to the "genocide currently taking place" and the "dirty work" being done by the German government. In Berlin, more than 10,000 people gathered, said police AFP Protesters in London waved Palestinian flags and carried signs including 'Stop arming Israel' and 'No war on Iran' AFP
DW
5 hours ago
- DW
Iran: The dangerous dream of regime change – DW – 06/21/2025
The longer Israel's attack on Iran goes on, the greater the speculation about the possibility of overthrowing the government in Tehran. But regime change has historically had disastrous consequences in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly told the US broadcaster Fox News on Sunday that regime change in Iran "could certainly be the result" of Israel's operation there, because, he said, the government in Tehran was "very weak." US President Donald Trump has meanwhile sent out contradictory signals. "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," he announced on his personal social network, Truth Social. "He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now." It remains unclear how long "for now" might last, however. The longer the conflict between Israel and an Iran goes on, the more tempting it might appear to Israel and the United States to get rid not just of the Iranian nuclear program, but of the Islamic Republic as well. "It's extremely doubtful that it would be possible to bring about a regime change like that from the outside, with the push of a button," warns Eckart Woertz, the head of the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg. "If it did come to that, whether things would then go in the right direction is a whole other question." Foreign-imposed "regime change" is a highly controversial concept. Under international law, it is a clear violation of the sovereignty of the affected state. Often, it is not democratically legitimized, and it frequently leads to a power vacuum or violence and instability. Newly installed governments often find themselves unable to cope with the challenge of resolving the country's problems, and this results in further crises and conflicts. This is was what happened in Afghanistan. After the terrorist attacks on New York on September 11, 2001, NATO invoked the mutual defense guarantee contained in Article 5 of the NATO Treaty for the first and (so far) only time. A Western military alliance led by the United States resolved to topple Afghanistan's Islamist Taliban regime, and fight the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Initially, it was quite successful, and by the end of 2001 the Taliban had been driven out of Kabul. But various parties to the alliance disagreed on a number of things, including how military, political and development aid should cooperate. And so, for 20 years, the security situation remained extremely precarious. The country was devastated by attacks as the Taliban launched repeated counteroffensives. Between 2001 and 2021 around 3,600 Western soldiers and almost 50,000 Afghan civilians were killed. The Afghanistan mission cost a total of almost $1 billion (€868 million). After the chaotic withdrawal of the US and its allies in the summer of 2021, the Taliban returned to power. Since then, they have rolled back almost all the progress made over the past 20 years. Afghanistan is isolated and desperately poor, with 23 million people dependent on humanitarian aid. The US once armed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who was in power for more than two decades. In 2003, however, it decided to overthrow him, with help of a "coalition of the willing," but without a mandate from the UN Security Council. Washington justified the decision with the assertion that Saddam Hussein was supporting al-Qaeda and was in possession of weapons of mass destruction — claims later proven to be false. "Saddam Hussein was overthrown not because he possessed weapons of mass destruction, but because he did not possess them," the Middle East expert Eckhart Woertz says today. And, at the time, Iran took note. Once Saddam Hussein had been toppled, the Americans installed a transitional government, which was later heavily criticized for mismanagement and lack of knowledge of the country. Existing enmities between Iraq's different religious groups deteriorated into a situation akin to civil war between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Deadly attacks were an almost daily occurrence. Soldiers discharged from the Iraqi army started fighting the US troops who had previously toppled Saddam. Twenty years after the American invasion and the attempted regime change in Iraq, the situation has improved. Violence has died down, and the next round of parliamentary elections is due to take place in November. Nonetheless, Iraq remains a country in the process of change. Libya is also still suffering the consequences of an attempted regime change, which came from within and was flanked from abroad. In the wake of the Arab Spring, a civil war there began in 2011 with protests against the rule of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. When attempted to put down the uprisings with bloodshed, NATO intervened militarily in the form of a no-fly zone to protect the civilian population. The regime held on for a few months. Then on October 20, 2011, Gaddafi was killed. But a government acceptable to the entire country was never established. Instead, there have been years of further conflict between rival militias. The state has virtually disintegrated, with two different governments fighting for control since March 2022. The human rights situation remains extremely precarious. Aside from these cautionary examples from recent history, Eckart Woertz sees another problem: Ultimately, ground force would be required to force a change of government in Iran. "I don't see a massively strong rebel movement within Iran that could topple the current regime," says Woertz. And from outside? "While there was a successful regime change in Germany once, at the end of the Second World War, that required a ground invasion," says Woertz. "And then you need a transition backed by local people. It helps if there is a common external enemy — like the Soviet bloc after 1945 — which glosses over the differences. But regime change has never happened with aerial bombardment alone, and I don't think Iran will be an exception now."
