PAPENDRECHT, Netherlands 

People gathered in the Dutch town of Papendrecht on Friday to protest GKN Fokker's export of parts for F-35 fighter jets used by the Israeli military in its genocidal campaign in Gaza.

The group, which included Dutch citizens, marched from Markt Square to the GKN Fokker factory and the headquarters of GKN Aerospace, holding banners that read, “We are all Palestinians” and “Cut all ties with the apartheid state of Israel.”

Chanting slogans such as “Fokker, stop supporting genocide,” “Shame on you, Fokker—your hands are bloody,” “Free Palestine,” and “Death to the Israeli army,” the protesters accused the company of contributing to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In a statement, organizers cited a Dutch court ruling from 2023, which ordered the suspension of F-35 parts exports to Israel, ruling that the use of the jets in Gaza violated international humanitarian law.

Despite the court’s decision, the group claimed that GKN Fokker has continued to export components to Israel through indirect channels, making the company complicit in alleged war crimes.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 57,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.