The most problematic aspect of the ceasefire is that it leaves the occupation of Gaza untouched. As a result of two years of genocide, resulting in more than 70,000 deaths and unprecedented destruction, Israel has a military presence on more than half of the coastal strip, where Palestinians are not welcome.
Ongoing genocide
A new border is being drawn, the yellow line. The Israeli presence comes with large-scale destruction. Over 1,500 buildings have been demolished in Gaza in the past few months. There is no indication that Israel will ever return territory. Israel allows far less humanitarian aid into Gaza than agreed, including urgently needed medicines. For these reasons, Amnesty International, among others, argues that the genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza is still ongoing.
Two-sided arms embargo
Against this backdrop, it is incomprehensible that Germany recently decided to resume arms exports to Israel. The Netherlands is maintaining its export ban on F-35 parts to Israel for now, but intends to reassess this within a few months. This is despite the fact that it is already abundantly clear that the risk of war crimes remains extremely high. That is why we have been advocating for some time now for a complete, bilateral arms embargo, explicitly including imports of arms from Israel. It is important that the Netherlands is not involved in any way in genocide in Gaza.
More pressure on Israel is needed to ensure that the ceasefire is maintained. More pressure, including strong economic measures from the Netherlands and the EU, is also needed for lasting peace, for an end to occupation, apartheid and genocide, and for Palestinian control over their own future. The (new) cabinet should prioritize this.
