37 evacuated from Gaza, dozens with Dutch residency still trapped
Thirty-seven people with Dutch residency were evacuated from Gaza last week under Red Cross supervision, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed. However, dozens reportedly remain trapped, with no clear path to safety, according to Trouw.
The evacuees were family members of Dutch residents approved for reunification. Among them were three sisters of Wala’a, a Gaza resident who also shared her story with Trouw last year. Her 26-year-old brother Hemaid, who also had Dutch residency, was killed on July 28. His family and lawyer say he died in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp.
The evacuees crossed into Israel through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, where Dutch representatives received them. They were then taken to Amman, Jordan, before flying to the Netherlands to reunite with their families.
The evacuation came just before Israel intensified its military operations. On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes shattered a ceasefire with Hamas. Gaza health officials reported 970 deaths in two days, many of them children.
With the renewed violence, further evacuations are in doubt. Israel has ordered Gazans to leave border areas, and all crossings are now shut. Medical evacuations have also stopped, reportedly leaving those still in Gaza in growing danger.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that "several dozen" people with Dutch residency remain in Gaza. Their fate is uncertain. The ministry cited personal circumstances as one reason they were not evacuated last week but noted that Israel ultimately decides who can leave.
Despite the obstacles, the ministry says it remains committed to getting those still trapped out. “We continue to make every possible effort, at all levels, to get those on the Dutch list out as soon as possible,” it stated.
Trouw spoke with a Dutch resident whose relatives were not evacuated despite being on the Dutch list. The person, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, only learned about the evacuation afterward. “This feels like a nightmare,” they said. “This is life-threatening. If a new ground invasion happens, they may not even reach the border, or the crossings could shut completely. We are hoping for a quick solution.”
Evacuations from Gaza have been rare. The previous one was on February 4, when Abed Al-Attar from Almere was evacuated. In November, two people with Dutch passports left. Before that, there were six months without any evacuations involving the Dutch government.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023—after Hamas’s deadly attacks in Israel—about 130 people from the Dutch list have been evacuated, including Dutch citizens and residency holders. But with violence escalating and borders closed, those still in Gaza face an uncertain future.
