Dutch court ends bid to ban Israel arms sales – DW – 11/06/2025

An appeals court in The Hague rejected a case brought by 10 NGOs seeking to end all military equipment sales from the Netherlands to Israel. The groups said the Dutch government is doing too little to stop what they call “genocide” in Gaza and is engaging in “blatantly unlawful” foreign policy.

“While it is appreciable that there is a threat of genocide and serious human rights violations, in principle, it is not up to the Court to tell the State what measures should be taken to prevent it,” the judges wrote in a statement.

Israel has repeatedly denied allegations that it is carrying out genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

The Dutch court also pointed to a number of measures already taken by the Dutch government to reduce support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, including a ban on the sale of equipment it believes could be used in the Palestinian territory.

The latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, which the UN considers credible, show that more than 68,000 Palestinians, most civilians and including at least 20,000 children, have died due to Israeli strikes and other policies since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 were killed.

Pope Leo XIV met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in person for the first time on Thursday, although the pair spoke by phone over the summer.

“During the cordial talks, it was recognized that there is an urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population in Gaza and to end the conflict by adopting a two-state solution,” the Holy See said in a statement.

Abbas made the visit to mark the 10th anniversary of the “Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine”, which led to the Vatican’s recognition of the Palestinian state in June 2015.

Before meeting Leo, Abbas paid respects at the tomb of Pope Francis’ predecessor. Abbas and Francis met several times and remained in regular contact by phone during the two years of Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Israeli officials have said that the most recent body of a hostage to be returned, on October 7, 2023, was that of Tanzanian student Joshua Loitu Molele.

Mollel, 21, had arrived at Kibbutz Nahal Oz only 19 days before the Hamas attack. Having recently completed an agriculture degree, he was hoping to gain some practical knowledge that he could bring back to his country.

“Joshua’s return brings some comfort to the family that has endured more than two years of unbearable uncertainty,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters said in a statement.

The bodies of six hostages remain in Gaza. Their withdrawal is part of a US-backed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

A fragile ceasefire continues between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which also includes the return of hostage bodies to Israel.

The new Pope is meeting with the Palestinian delegation in the Vatican.

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