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The Netherlands to Drop Emergency Aid Over Gaza
(NETHERLANDS / GAZA) The Netherlands will also drop emergency aid over the Gaza Strip by aircraft. This was announced by outgoing Ministers Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs / left in picture) and Brekelmans (Defense / right in picture) in a letter to the House of Representatives. They describe the situation in Gaza as catastrophic.
The aid consists of food and emergency supplies flown to Jordan by a C-130 aircraft operated by the Ministry of Defense and then dropped over Gaza. This is also the approach used by other countries providing aid to the Gazan population in this way.
The first airdrop will take place on August 8th, next Friday. The C-130 and its crew will then continue dropping emergency aid for another two weeks. The aim is to deliver 24 tons of aid to the Palestinians daily.
The operation is being funded with €1 million from the development aid budget.
The Netherlands used a similar approach last year to alleviate Palestinian hunger. The United Nations says airdrops are expensive, inefficient, and dangerous. Because they often cause an immediate rush to deliver supplies, people can be injured.
The ministers acknowledge that airdrops are no substitute for land-based aid deliveries. "It remains crucial to urge the Israeli authorities to further expand and consolidate humanitarian access for professional, mandated aid organizations to the entire Gaza Strip," the letter to Parliament states.
The ministers add that the cabinet strongly condemns Hamas's actions, as Hamas "used the Gaza population as human shields" and is still holding fifty hostages. Twenty of them are reportedly still alive.
The cabinet wants Hamas to immediately release the hostages and give up its weapons. "There is no place for Hamas in the future of the Gaza Strip," the two ministers stated.
(Source: NOS.nl)
Number of home burglaries drops to lowest point in years: 'Part of a trend'
(NETHERLANDS) The number of home burglaries in the Netherlands has reached its lowest point in years in the past six months. In the first half of 2025, 9,767 homes were burglarized, according to an analysis of police data by the ANP news agency.
The fact that the number of home burglaries in that period is lower than in recent years is part of a trend, a police spokesperson told NU.nl. "The number of home burglaries has been declining for years."
In the first six months of 2012, 43,614 homes were broken into. The number decreased in subsequent years. For example, in 2015, thieves managed to enter homes 31,124 times during the same period.
In recent years, the number of home burglaries from January through June has remained relatively stable. In 2021, there were 9,790 burglaries during that period, while in 2022, the number increased to 11,678. In subsequent years, the number has steadily decreased.
Not all municipalities have seen fewer burglaries in recent years. In fourteen municipalities, the number either increased or remained stable. However, the numbers were small in each case. In 257 municipalities, the number of burglaries decreased by at least half over the past ten years.
The largest decrease, namely 98 percent, occurred in the Brabant municipality of Best. In 2015, thieves broke into homes there 47 times. In the past six months, there was only one burglary.
(Source: NOS.nl)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM TODAY'S NEWS IN THE NETHERLANDS IN BRIEF
- Man sentenced to three months in prison for secretly not wearing a condom during sex
(NETHERLANDS) A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to three months in prison for having unsafe sex while his partner refused. This is also known as stealthing.
This is the first time in the Netherlands that someone has been convicted of this offense. The Public Prosecution Service had demanded a six-month prison sentence. The man must also pay the victim approximately four thousand euros in damages.
The man and the victim met through a dating app and had sex in August of last year. When the woman asked if he had condoms, he allegedly replied in the affirmative.
However, the man did not use a condom during sex, even when the woman asked again. According to him, the only discussion beforehand was about preventing pregnancy. That's why he allegedly ejaculated outside the woman's body. He says they never discussed condoms again. (Source: NOS.nl)
- More than 70 neglected dogs seized from Oosterwolde farm
(OOSTERWOLDE) Seventy-two neglected dogs have been seized from the property of a breeder in the village of Oosterwolde (province of Friesland). This occurred following an inspection by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), which visited the farmhouse with police based on an anonymous tip.
The farmhouse is located in the Weperpolder, reports Omrop Fryslân. The NVWA found several dogs confined in crates and cramped enclosures. The areas where the animals were kept were contaminated with urine and feces. One of the puppies was dead. Due to the stench, the inspectors and officers had to enter wearing special masks.
The dogs were taken to a shelter, where they are receiving medical care. The owners are covering the costs. Mayor Jack Werkman of the municipality of Ooststellingwerf, which includes Oosterwolde, has announced that the breeder's home will be sealed off. The Public Prosecution Service will have to look into the matter further. (Source: NOS.nl)
