700 Dutch lawyers take to the streets: 'Put Israel on trial'

Reactions to Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip continue to grow across the globe. "Stop the illegal occupation and prosecute Israel for war crimes and human rights violations" The statement, titled as such, noted that the worsening situation in the Gaza Strip is being followed with great concern and horror.

"THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE STATEMENT"

The statement, which expressed sadness at witnessing the collapse of the universal principles of human dignity, stated: "These principles are defined in human rights conventions, for which protocols have been established and UN resolutions have been passed for their protection. It is not without reason that these principles are called universal. Therefore, this means that these principles apply to everyone, regardless of their place of residence, ethnic origin, or religion. In the Netherlands, home to The Hague, the capital of international law, the government should be leading the way for the world and calling loudly for a ceasefire, yet it is clearly choosing to remain on the sidelines. Although cautious calls are occasionally made for Israel to comply with the law, the intensity of these calls is disproportionate to the actual situation on the ground. The government's statement that it has full confidence that Israel will comply with the law is an unacceptable statement, given historical events and what is currently happening." it was stated.

"THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS ARE DYING"

The statement, which expresses that the international community, including the Netherlands, has largely remained silent in the face of what is happening in Gaza, stated: "We, the undersigned lawyers, cannot remain silent on this matter. We cannot close our eyes to the fact that double standards are being applied in the Israel-Palestine conflict. When Russia invaded Ukraine, politicians gathered to shout about injustice from the highest towers. That was as it should have been. However, now that northern Gaza is being subjected to ethnic cleansing and the Palestinian people are being collectively punished for the crimes of Hamas, those who once spoke out so loudly have fallen silent. Israel is causing massive destruction every single day. Even if Hamas's attacks on civilians are condemned, the slaughter and large-scale destruction carried out by Israel in response have been grossly disproportionate. Dozens of bombs are dropped on buildings every day, and thousands of Palestinian civilians are dying. Due to this lack of proportionality, international humanitarian law is frequently violated in these attacks." it said.

The statement, which notes that the execution of indiscriminate attacks without distinguishing between civilian and military targets clearly demonstrates a violation of the laws of war, continued: "Furthermore, Israel has completely blocked Gaza's access to water, food, electricity, and fuel. Starving a civilian population is also a violation of the laws of war. It has also been recorded that white phosphorus was used in Israeli attacks." it said.

Pointing out that Israel even determines the amount of humanitarian aid to be sent to the Gaza Strip via Egypt, the statement said, "Hundreds of trucks containing humanitarian aid are waiting at the border because Israel will not allow them to pass. Hospitals, which are trying to perform surgeries without anesthesia or electricity, are in dire need of these aid supplies."

CALL TO THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE

The statement recalled the words of Dutch Minister of Justice Dilan Yeşilgöz, who said, "Almost everyone agrees that atrocities such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes must not go unpunished, no matter where in the world they occur," and emphasized that it is time for Yeşilgöz to stand by her words.

The statement read: "We strongly condemn the disproportionate response of the Israeli regime and its associated brutal attacks. We also condemn the attacks by Hamas. However, these attacks do not justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza. We call on the Dutch government to make every effort to end the illegal occupation as soon as possible and to condemn Israel's war crimes and human rights violations." it stated.