Help for Dutch Citizens in Israel and Palestinian Territories: Together We Shoulder the Burden

“It began on October 7 with rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza,” says Ambassador Marriët Schuurman. “The air raid siren went off and we had to immediately go to the shelters. At first, it seemed like a drill, as we often do. But soon it became clear that these were large-scale terrorist attacks by Hamas. And then you know you are in a very different scenario.” At that moment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs activated the crisis structure.

“In a short time, we held crisis consultations, spoke with other EU ambassadors and contacts in Israel. And at a high pace, you must together with colleagues in The Hague get answers to the most important questions: How many Dutch people are in the country? Where are they? Are they in danger? Are our embassy colleagues safe? How can we help Dutch citizens?”

Michel Rentenaar describes how he experienced the start of the violence from East Jerusalem. There too, the air raid siren went off. “I woke up startled, saw the messages and immediately got to work. From the representation, we immediately called together a crisis team. We have practiced many crisis scenarios together, so everyone knows their role and what to do. And a lot has to happen simultaneously. One person handles the travel advice, another investigates safe routes and possibilities for Dutch citizens to leave the country, or arranges travel documents for Dutch citizens. Together we shoulder the burden. And we will keep doing that.”

“Dutch people in distress can call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs information and help line day and night (tel: +31 247 247 247),” says Marriët. “The embassy has active contact with various groups of Dutch people in different parts of Israel. Some have lived here for years, others are visiting or on vacation. We do everything to help them in this frightening situation. We inform Dutch citizens via our Information Service, also about possibilities to leave the country.”

On October 10, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense announced the deployment of a military transport aircraft to repatriate stranded travelers. New charters are planned in the coming days. Stranded Dutch citizens who have registered with the Information Service of Foreign Affairs will continue to be contacted with information about new flights in the coming days.

There are far fewer Dutch citizens in the Palestinian Territories, says Michel. “It is a small group, incomparable to the number of Dutch in Israel. We have intensive contact with these Dutch citizens and send them important information. For example, about safe routes and whether certain bridges are open or not. There were initially two Dutch citizens in Gaza, but fortunately they were able to leave in time.”

The posts in Tel Aviv and Ramallah are about 70 km apart. They also work closely together. “We hold crisis consultations together and make joint analyses of the situation in the region.” For both posts, all regular work is on hold. “So we focus on the current situation to provide as much help as possible to Dutch citizens.”

For Dutch citizens in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Marriët and Michel have the same message: “We urge all Dutch travelers who have become stranded to register via the Information Service of Foreign Affairs. That way we know who is there, and can share important information with them and contact them about repatriation.”

The staff at the posts in Tel Aviv (Israel) and Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) work day and night to help Dutch citizens. At the same time, they themselves are dealing with a great shock. “We are very worried about the situation,” Michel explains. “The effect of the Hamas terrorist attack is enormous. And there is now a lot of suffering and civilian casualties on all sides of the conflict. The situation in Gaza is hell, it cannot be described in any other way. And it is uncertain how the situation will develop further.”

“At the post, there are colleagues who are experiencing a war for the first time. That is why I ensure they receive sufficient support. For example, this week we held a meeting, also for the partners of our colleagues. To explain: what is happening, what are the scenarios, and what should we take into account?”

For the colleagues at the embassy in Israel, this is also a situation they have never experienced before, says Marriët. “The severity of what has happened, the images of men, women, elderly and children who have been killed or abducted. It is too terrible for words. And colleagues worry a lot about their friends and family. For safety reasons, we work from home. We regularly have to go to the shelter. The emotions are strong, but we have a lot of contact with each other. We are prepared for many things, but no one knows where this will lead. Our hope is for a peaceful solution, where international and humanitarian law are respected.”