THE HAGUE - Pro-Palestinian campaigners took the Dutch state to court on Friday as they argued that it has failed to prevent genocide in Gaza by maintaining military ties with Israel and failing to end all business investments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"States with unique leverage have a unique responsibility to prevent genocide and not to wait for it to happen," legal adviser to Palestinian NGO Al Haq, Ahmad Abofoul, told the court in The Hague.

Addressing the presiding judge, Sonja Hoekstra van Vliet, Mr Abofoul said: "You have the opportunity to contribute to stopping this because the Dutch government's involvement in this is sustaining the situation – not only genocide [but also] the longest occupation in history."

Lawyers speaking on behalf of the Dutch state told the court that they rejected such claims and described the NGOs' case as vague and unfounded. NGOs argue that the Netherlands is required under the Geneva Conventions to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.