THE HAGUE

For 50 days, day and night, the names and ages of over 65,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza have been read aloud outside the Dutch Foreign Ministry in The Hague.

The announcement to condemn Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, organized by the Rotterdam Palestine Coalition Foundation, has been taking place in front of the ministry every Monday and Thursday for 24 hours, beginning last week. It seeks to persuade the Dutch government to take concrete action against Israel.

The Hague's train station and tram stops are across from the protest site, with some passers-by joining in to support volunteers who keep watch around the clock by reading out names from the victims' list.

Activists plan to continue the action until the Dutch government imposes serious sanctions on Israel.

Margreet Oele, coordinator of the Rotterdam Palestine Coalition Foundation, told Anadolu that from July 25 to Sept. 12, they read aloud the names and ages of Palestinians killed in Gaza 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in front of the ministry. She explained that since last week, the action has been limited to Mondays and Thursdays in order to focus on weekend protests.

‘Unfortunately, we have not received an official response from the ministry’

Oele said the goal is to maintain pressure on the foreign minister and the government. “Unfortunately, we have not received an official response from the ministry. During the time we have been here, there have been three different foreign ministers. We invited them, but they did not even bother to visit or comment,” she said.

She noted that they received many positive reactions from visitors to the protest and that even some ministry staff had shown support.

She emphasized that the names are especially read aloud by participants themselves, adding: “People from all walks of life—Dutch, Palestinian, and different ethnic backgrounds—join the action and read the names. We notice that hearing these names creates a deep impact on people. When the names are read, it becomes clearer that those who lost their lives were real human beings.”

‘The Netherlands is complicit in the genocide in Gaza’

Highlighting the horror of what she described as genocide by Israel, Oele said: “The Netherlands is complicit in the genocide in Gaza. This is undeniable. The Netherlands can do a lot more to increase pressure on Israel. That is why we are here. We hope it will be understood that the ministry must act.”

She stressed that they will continue the action until the Netherlands imposes serious sanctions against Israel and ends what she called its “complicity in the genocide in Gaza.”

“We hope to show our solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and make them feel our support. At our core, we are all Palestinians,” she said.