Dutch health care workers demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinian colleagues killed by Israel

​​​​​​​By Selman Aksunger and Ilayda Cakirtekin

AMSTERDAM/ISTANBUL (AA) - Dutch health care workers demonstrated in front of the Amsterdam UMC academic hospital on Tuesday in solidarity with their Palestinian colleagues killed in Israeli attacks.

The workers observed a moment of silence for their colleagues and demanded that hospital administrations cut ties with Israeli institutions during a protest organized by Artsen voor Gaza (Doctors for Gaza).

Dr. Job de Jong from Amsterdam’s Public Health Service (GGD) read a statement by the group that said health care workers cannot remain "neutral" while a group is being "systematically" subjected to genocide.

The workers urged hospital administrations to take responsibility by reviewing their current partnerships with Israel's genocidal regime and sever all connections with Israeli institutions.

Underlining that Amsterdam UMC collaborates with certain Israeli academic institutions, they noted that continued ties with the institutions normalize apartheid and structural violence.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has killed more than 56,600 Palestinians in a deadly onslaught in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.​​​​​​​