Amsterdam city council urges Dutch government to take clear stance against Gaza war

Amsterdam's city council adopted a motion calling on the Dutch government to take a clear position against Israel's war on Gaza, warning of a "real and imminent genocide" in the enclave, local media said Thursday.

The move, which came after a week of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Amsterdam, is based on an interim ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March that ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, the Het Parool news outlet reported.

The motion, which was submitted by several parties including Denk, De Vonk, Lijst Kabamba and the Party for the Animals, also calls on the government take responsibility and provide support to aid organizations in Gaza.

The council feels that attention for the Palestinian cause is being suppressed by the Dutch government and wants to make a counter-voice heard that many Palestinian Amsterdammers also express.

The parties also said that demonstrations in Amsterdam against the situation in Gaza will continue as long as the government does not take a clear position against the violence.

Israel has continued its devastating offensive against Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year. The onslaught has killed more than 43,700 people and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the ICJ for its deadly war on Gaza.