Dutch court rejects bid to halt arms exports to Israel as Gaza war rages

The Hague district court emphasized on Friday that the state has some leeway in its policies and courts should not rush to step in. Citing high civilian casualties in Israel’s assault in the besieged Gaza Strip, the plaintiffs had argued that the Dutch state, as a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention, has a duty to take all reasonable measures at its disposal to prevent genocide because “Israel is guilty of genocide and apartheid” and “is using Dutch weapons to wage war.”