Dutch delegation joins protest flotilla to Gaza; Artists, writers urge gov't to act

As parliament returns from summer recess to debate the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, protests are mounting in the Netherlands for the Dutch government to act against Israel. A Dutch delegation will join a flotilla of dozens of activist boats heading to the Gaza Strip at the end of August, the largest ever, according to the organizers. Over 300 writers, artists, journalists, and academics have made a “moral indictment” against the Dutch government to do more for the Gazans' plight.

The participants in the protest flotilla are calling for an end to Israel’s blockade of aid to the Gaza Strip and the “ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.” The fleet also includes people from Malaysia, the United States, Colombia, and Italy, among others.

The bulk of the flotilla will depart from Spain on August 31, followed by additional departures on September 4 from countries including Tunisia, according to the organization Global Movement to Gaza Netherlands. The Dutch delegation will demonstrate on Saturday, August 9, at 2:99 p.m. at Beursplein in Amsterdam as part of a global action day.

According to the organizers, this is a peaceful and legally anchored mission, which will include relief supplies and activists, as well as doctors and lawyers. “To show that Gaza is not alone,” the organization said.

Protests for relief for Gaza are mounting in the Netherlands. Over 300 writers, artists, journalists, and academics are making a “moral indictment” against the government to do more to stop the humanitarian emergency in Gaza. Among them are Claudia de Breij, Hanna Bervoets, and Paul de Leeuw.

“We demand a total boycott, a halt to the arms trade, and recognition of the Palestinian State. We demand that every effort be made to stop the genocide,” they wrote in their appeal. The authors refer to a recent advisory report from the Advisory Committee on International Law Issues (CAVV), which stated that the Netherlands has a moral duty to take action against genocide.

There will also be a Gaza support protest at the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, at 2:00 p.m. today during the parliamentary debate on the issue. And protests are planned at various train stations on Thursday evening.

As of August 6, Israel has killed 61,158 people, including at least 18,430 children, in the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported based on the latest figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry. That is one out of every 36 people in Gaza dead, and over 90 people killed per day since this war started on October 7, 2023, provoked by a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, killing 1,137 people. The Gaza death toll does not include the thousands of missing people buried under the rubble.

At least 151,442 people in the Gaza Strip are injured, including at least 40,500 children and babies. 193 people have starved to death in Gaza due to Israel restricting aid. 96 of them were children and babies. One in ten children in Gaza are malnourished.