In November 2024, a group of ten NGOs asked a Dutch court to stop the Netherlands exporting weapons to Israel and trading with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, citing high civilian casualties in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.

According to the plaintiffs, 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.

Lawyer Wout Albers, acting for groups including Palestinian rights organisations Al Haq and Al Mezan and pro-Palestinian Jewish organisation Een Ander Joods Geluid, said the Netherlands had failed to take the measures needed by continuing its exports of weapons parts and military cooperation.

The case, heard by the district court in The Hague, cited a January order to Israel by the International Court of Justice to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.

In December 2024, the bid was rejected by the court, which stressed that the state has some leeway in its policies and courts should not rush to step in.

“The interim relief court finds that there is no reason to impose a total ban on the export of military and dual-use goods on the state,” it said in a statement. “All claims are dismissed.”