A local court ordered the Dutch government today, Wednesday, to provide more documents in a civil case filed by over 20 victims of a Dutch airstrike against what is said to be an "ISIS bomb factory" in northern Iraq in 2015. The victims' lawyers stated that the bombing, which resulted in the deaths of around 70 people, violated wartime laws because it did not adequately consider the possibility of civilian casualties.
The district court in The Hague, in a preliminary ruling, indicated that it needed more information from the state regarding the circumstances that led to the so-called "red card holder," the individual responsible for making the final decision on the strike, arriving at that decision. However, the Dutch government claimed that these documents are confidential. The district court stated that another court would evaluate this claim.
State attorneys announced in sessions last October that the Dutch military identified the area as an industrial complex and did not expect a large number of civilians to be present. They noted that the Netherlands acted in accordance with wartime laws. The Dutch Ministry of Defense reported that the explosion that occurred in the Iraqi city of Hawija resulted in the deaths of about 70 people, including civilians and fighters from the Islamic State. The bombing mission was one of approximately 2,100 strikes carried out by Dutch F-16 aircraft over Iraq and Syria as part of the anti-ISIS coalition between 2014 and 2018.
