Delegates of nine nations on Friday gathered to form the Hague Group and coordinate legal, diplomatic and economic measures against Israel’s violations of international law in the State of Palestine. These countries include Belize, Cuba, Namibia, Honduras, Senegal, South Africa, Colombia, Bolivia and Malaysia.
The group in their inaugural joint statement affirmed their position to uphold their obligations to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and ensure the right of Palestinian people to self-determination, inviting states to take actions and policies to end Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The group also reaffirmed states’ obligations to prevent arms transfers that could violate the Genocide Convention. The group claimed that this assertion is supported by several international decisions, including the 2004 ruling on the construction of the separation wall from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), its advisory opinion on Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territory, its order in Nicaragua v. Germany and a UN General Assembly resolution affirming the ICJ’s advisory opinion.
During the press conference for the inauguration of the Hague Group, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, emphasised the application brought on by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention during the ongoing assault against Palestinians. He reiterated South Africa’s stance to champion the protection and fundamental rights of the Palestinian people within the institutions of global governance. Malaysia maintained the country’s long-standing commitment to the Palestinian cause, expressing hope in the group’s collective actions in preventing the denial of the statehood of the Palestinian people. Belize affirmed their honour to be part of an initiative to uphold people’s right to self-determination.
The group also calls on nations to uphold an international order based on the rule of law and international law, emphasizing that these principles, along with justice, are fundamental to peaceful coexistence and cooperation among states.
The announcement comes amid repeated threats against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024. Whilst the US seeks to sanction the ICC for its judicial proceedings against Israel, 93 member states of the ICC declared their “unwavering support” for the court to carry out their mandate. The formation of the Hague Group represents another international effort to support the ICC.
