THE HAGUE: A group of Dutch civil servants gathered in front of the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday to demand a ceasefire in war-torn Gaza.
Approximately 150 ministerial workers participated in the unusual protest, holding placards and displaying a banner reading “Civil Servants Demand Ceasefire.”
They expressed concern over the Dutch government’s stance, as it abstained from voting for a cease-fire during a recent UN General Assembly meeting. The protesters disagreed with the government official position and called for a permanent ceasefire.
The rare civil servant protest lasted about half an hour, highlighting growing support for a ceasefire in Gaza. “We cannot just stand by and watch which while international and humanitarian law are being violated,” said protester Jesse Jansen, 34.
In October, around 200 civil servants penned letters to the Dutch cabinet urging it to appeal to Israel to cease the Gaza bombardment and safeguard innocent civilians.
The Netherlands has witnessed a surge in support for a ceasefire, with an RTL public broadcaster poll on Tuesday indicating that nearly two-thirds of Dutch respondents favor such a call.
The poll underscored that the majority of people refrain from taking sides in the conflict, expressing sympathy for Palestinians.
Despite the increasing public sentiment, Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz rebuked the civil servants’ letters, said that political leadership dictates the policy line, not the other way around.
According to Gaza health ministry at least 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in unrelenting Israeli bombardments since October 7. The casualties include 8,000 children and 6,200 women, underscoring the devastating toll on the civilian population.
The UN has said that some 1.87 million Palestinians, over 80 percent of Gaza’s population, have left their homes because of the Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave.
