Dutch Gaza activists are well, says foreign ministry

Wednesday 02 June 2010

The two Dutch activists who were travelling with the Gaza aid convoy attacked by Israeli commandos earlier this week are well, according to the foreign affairs ministry.

Anne de Jong, 29, has bruises from being hit by a rubber bullet but the man, 43-year-old Amin Abou Rashed, is unharmed, the ministry said in a statement.

On Tuesday night, foreign minister Maxime Verhagen demanded the immediate release of the two Dutch nationals. Israel has now begun releasing the 600 plus people picked up in the raids, but it is unclear when De Jong and Rashed will be sent home.

The Telegraaf claims it has been told by security service sources that Rashed is actually a senior official in the militant Palestinian group Hamas and a prominent fundraiser for the organisation in the Netherlands.

So far, there is no independent corroboration of the claim.

© DutchNews.nl

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