Dutch PM Rutte meets with loved ones of Hamas hostages, Israeli victims
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Rutte had breakfast with family members of Israelis abducted or killed by Hamas. He received them at his Ministry of General Affairs in The Hague.
“What they said defies description. The word that comes somewhat close is barbarism,” Rutte said on X about the meeting. “I am deeply touched by their stories and deeply impressed by how they draw attention to the fate of their loved ones in every possible way. By telling their story. By giving them a face.”
A spokesperson for the Family Forum for Hostages and Missing People spoke of a warm and emotional conversation. Rutte promised that he would continue to work for the missing, not only on behalf of the Netherlands but also in a European context, the spokesperson said to NOS.
“The return of the hostages is his top priority,” the spokesperson said. “These are people who have been taken from their homes by a terrorist movement. They have to come back. That is the support we have, without any guarantee.”
“We are here to put a face to a personal fate,” another relative told NOS. Another spoke of a cousin who had organized a party today where he would be the DJ, but he was killed. “On his computer, there was an invitation to today’s party. He was murdered.”
On Monday, Rutte traveled to Israel to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Afterward, Rutte called it essential that Hamas be eliminated, but he urged the Israeli government to use “wisdom” in their attacks on the Gaza Strip, where over 2 million Palestinians live. Eliminating the militant movement must be done with "a minimum of civilian casualties,” Rutte said.
According to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls, a total of 5,791 residents have been killed in the war so far, including 2,360 children. Among the dead is a 33-year-old Dutch woman who was visiting family with her husband and four sons when the war broke out and left them trapped.
Israel has increased its bombing of the Gaza Strip in recent days. The Israeli army reported hitting 400 Hamas targets on Monday and overnight, NOS reported.
