Dutch human rights council demands tougher measures against Israel over Gaza crisis

The Netherlands must increase pressure on Israel without further delay due to unprecedented human rights violations in Gaza, the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights said Tuesday.

“The Netherlands has both a legal and moral obligation to take effective action now to ensure Israel complies with international law, including human rights,” the council stated. “The emergency in Gaza is so severe that stronger pressure can no longer be postponed.”

The call comes amid mounting international concern about Israel’s military conduct in the Gaza Strip. Experts and organizations, including two Israeli human rights groups, have recently accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian population in the area.

While the International Court of Justice has not formally ruled that genocide is occurring, it has determined there is a real risk that rights protected under the Genocide Convention could be irreparably harmed. According to the Dutch Advisory Committee on Issues of Public International Law (CAVV), that risk is sufficient to trigger the Netherlands’ legal obligations under the treaty.