Tens of thousands of people turned out Sunday in The Hague to protest the Dutch government's policy on Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
Many protesters dressed in red at the request of the organisers, Oxfam Novib, who wanted to symbolically trace a red line for Gaza.
Rally participants pressed the Dutch government to take action against Israel, pointing out that it is committing a genocide in Gaza.
Organisers said more than 100,000 people took part, describing it as the largest demonstration in the country in 20 years. Police did not give an estimate.
One demonstrator, 25-year-old Rick Timmermans accused the government of supplying parts for the F-35 warplanes Israel was using for strikes on Gaza.
"Sometimes I'm ashamed of the government because it doesn't want to set any limits," said 59-year-old schoolteacher Jolanda Nio.
Israel's army announced "extensive ground operations" Sunday as part of its "newly expanded" campaign in the Gaza Strip, where rescuers reported dozens killed in a wave of Israeli strikes.
At least 144 Palestinians were killed on Sunday in relentless bombardment by the Israel, which also rendered all the public hospitals in northern Gaza out of service.
The intensified genocidal operation comes amid growing international concern over worsening humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory due to Israel's continuous blockade of humanitarian aid, which has been forcibly starving the entire population.
Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the inaction of the international community against Israel's "genocidal campaign of mass slaughter and starvation in Gaza.”
“Israel’s genocide, and the world community’s failure to stop its crimes against humanity, have exposed international law as a myth that is only invoked when those the West regards as human beings are impacted,” Nihad Awad, CAIR’s national executive director, said in a statement.
“It is clear that after a decades-long and systematic dehumanization campaign, Palestinians are not seen as part of humanity, otherwise the genocide would have ended long ago,” he stressed.
Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has so far killed more than 53,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Israel has also killed aid workers, healthcare workers and journalists in targeted attacks. More than 200 journalists have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague is hearing a case brought by South Africa arguing that Israel has violated the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention and is committing a genocide in Gaza. Rights groups and UN agencies have found Israel's military operations in Gaza to be genocidal.
