Palestinians with Dutch visas ask Netherlands to help evacuate them from Gaza
Three Palestinians holding valid visas for the Netherlands are seeking urgent government help to leave Gaza, citing ongoing Israeli attacks and severe humanitarian conditions. According to NOS, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far refused consular assistance. The case was heard Tuesday at an emergency court session in The Hague.
The plaintiffs include two students and a journalist. They are part of a group of 42 Palestinians who received visas to work, study, or conduct research in the Netherlands. Their visas are ready at the Dutch embassy in Amman, Jordan, but without Dutch government help, they cannot leave Gaza.
Bilal al Farra, who lives in a refugee camp with his wife and children, was scheduled to begin a master’s program in economics at Maastricht University Tuesday. “It is very painful that I have this visa and this opportunity, but cannot use it. It feels as if hope is within reach, and then it is taken away,” he told NOS.
Despite a ceasefire that began in October, Israeli attacks continue. Since then, at least 488 people have been killed, including over 100 children. This past weekend, 31 people died, marking one of the deadliest days since the truce. Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire. Most residents live in tents or ruins, basic supplies are scarce, and many aid organizations are banned from operating in the territory.
One of the plaintiffs has been forced to flee multiple times, according to human rights lawyer Eva Bezem, who represents the group. “He searches daily for food and clean drinking water and is constantly afraid that something will happen again,” she said. “The living conditions are the most appalling imaginable. The situation in Gaza has therefore not fundamentally changed, which is why we do not understand the minister’s decision.”
The Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza has partially reopened, but access is limited to sick and injured individuals traveling abroad for medical care and their escorts. “A recent graduate who wants to pursue education cannot join any queue,” one applicant said.
Journalist Hisham Zaqout, who holds a visa to work at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS), said in court, “It is a painful irony that, while waiting on this administrative decision, I face the real risk of being silenced before I can even start this research. As a journalist, this risk is unfortunately even greater.”
