The key facts

  • On 8 November, the Red Line movement held a rally in Amsterdam demanding sanctions against Israel
  • Prime Minister Rob Jetten did not take part in the march but stated that diplomatic pressure was being applied to Israel and that Hamas was being called on to comply
  • According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the ceasefire in October 2025

March in central Amsterdam

On 8 November 2026, a mass demonstration took place in Amsterdam as part of the ongoing Red Line movement in the Netherlands. Streets closed to traffic, including the area around the Van Gogh Museum, were filled with participants carrying Palestinian flags and placards reading 'Not in my name', 'Gaza is being starved' and 'Stop the Genocide'; chants of 'Free Palestine' and 'Shame on you' rang out through the crowd. Euronews reported this.

Demands and the government's position

Organisers demanded that the government in The Hague impose tougher trade sanctions against Israel, halt arms supplies and officially recognise Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide. The demonstration took place against the backdrop of continuing tensions between the Netherlands and Israel over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Context of the conflict

Israel firmly rejects accusations of genocide, arguing that its military campaign was a response to the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. The subsequent offensive, according to available data, has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed a significant part of the territory. According to the Gaza health ministry, since the start of the ceasefire in October 2025, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,550 Palestinians.

The prime minister's position

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who took part in one of the previous Red Line actions but did not attend the Sunday march, defended his government's approach: according to him, it is stepping up diplomatic pressure on Israel while simultaneously calling on Hamas to honour its security commitments.