Tens of thousands of protesters, many dressed in red, marched through Amsterdam on Sunday in a massive "Red Line" demonstration urging the Dutch government to impose trade sanctions, halt arms sales, and officially declare Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide.
Organizers, including Amnesty International's Dutch branch, estimated turnout at over 200,000. Demonstrators chanted "Free Palestine" along closed streets, criticizing the Dutch government's inaction.
Israel strongly rejects genocide allegations stemming from its military campaign following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks (1,200 killed, 251 taken hostage). However, over 1,550 Palestinians have been killed since an October 2025 ceasefire began, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The Gaza conflict has severely strained Dutch-Israeli relations; a previous foreign minister resigned last year over sanctions, while Prime Minister Rob Jetten's new minority coalition recently banned imports from illegal Israeli settlements, provoking a diplomatic spat.
Defending his administration on Friday, Jetten-who was absent on Sunday-said that his government works daily to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel regarding Gaza agreements while simultaneously pressuring Hamas over operations threatening Israeli safety.