In France on Saturday, thousands of other people joined similar protests, as part of a weekend mobilisation around the world against Israel's war and siege of the Palestinian territory.
Some 150,000 people participated in the march in the Hague, according to organisers.
In Brussels, where protesters were also calling for action from the EU, turnout was estimated at 110,000 by organisers and 75,000 by police.
Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organized the demonstrations, which aimed to draw a so-called "red line" on the issue.
Protestors wave Palestinian flags and signs as they attend a demonstration called by Oxfam Novib, PAX, Amnesty International, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders in support for the Palestinians, in The Hague. AFP
With many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting "Stop the Genocide", the demonstrators in the Dutch city turned a central park into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon before a march towards the International Court of Justice.
Protesters waved banners reading "Don't look away, do something", "Stop Dutch complicity", and "Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die".
Protesters condemn 'genocide'
Organisers urged the Dutch government -- which collapsed on June 3 after a far-right party pulled out of a fragile coalition -- to do more to rein in Israel for its military offensive on the Palestinian territory.
"More than 150,000 people here dressed in red -- and a clear majority of the Dutch population -- just want concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza," said Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib, a Dutch branch of the international aid group.
"We demand action now from our government," added Servaes.
Dodo Van Der Sluis, a 67-year-old pensioner, told AFP: "It has to stop. Enough is enough. I can't take it anymore."
Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "To all those people in The Hague I say: we see you and we hear you."
"In the end, our goal is the same: to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible."
In Brussels, many families were seen taking part, with the crowd yelling "Free free Palestine!" and condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A large sign noted that Netanyahu was "Wanted for Crimes Against Humanity", referring to an ICJ warrant out against him.
Protesters hold a placard and wave Palestinian flags as they march during a national demonstration asking for a permanent ceasefire and in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, in Brussels. AFP
In Paris on Sunday, meanwhile, a dozen protesters began a march to Brussels to demand EU sanctions on Israel.
The group, which includes a French actress, Corinne Masiero, wants the European Union "to hear the voice of civil society reminding it of its duties", said Nathalie Tehio, head of the NGO Human Rights League.
French actress Corinne Masiero (2nd-R) takes part in a march in Paris called by French unions and associations starting today from La Villette in the 19th district of the French capital to Brussels. AFP
The marchers say they want to "put pressure on European authorities to impose sanctions against Israel" and to end the "massacre" in Gaza.
They are calling on EU officials to meet with them on 23 June, when the bloc’s foreign ministers are scheduled to convene.
Since early March, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, pushing the territory’s 2.3 million residents into what UN agencies describe as the war’s worst humanitarian crisis yet.
The UN, several human rights organizations, and the International Court of Justice have called for urgent action to prevent genocide and address the deteriorating humanitarian situation caused by Israel’s three-month blockade.
The UN has described Gaza as “the hungriest place on Earth” and warned that the entire population now faces famine.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday that Israeli strikes have killed 55,362 people and wounded 128,741 since October 2023. Most of the victims are women and children.
Since 18 March, when Israel unilaterally ended a two-month truce brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, Israeli strikes have killed at least 5,071 Palestinians and injured 16,700 others.
The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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