Unprecedented coalition targets Israel’s impunity over Gaza atrocities

In a rare move aimed at ending the long-standing impunity Israel has enjoyed regarding systematic killings and destruction in Palestinian territories — particularly in Gaza — these twelve countries have announced sanctions against Israel.

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, the twelve countries that signed the final statement of The Hague Group Conference in support of Palestine are Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa.

The conference was organized at the initiative of Colombia and South Africa, with participation from representatives of 30 countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa, along with five European countries: Ireland, Spain, Norway, Slovenia, and Portugal.

According to Le Monde, among the most significant sanctions announced are the suspension of arms exports to Israel and a ban on ships carrying weapons for Israel from passing through these countries' ports.

Additionally, all government contracts are to be reviewed to prevent any financial or institutional support for Israel’s occupation.

The signatory countries have also pledged to facilitate international investigations into crimes committed in Gaza — crimes that, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, have so far claimed over 58,000 lives, including 18,000 children and 12,400 women.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur who attended the conference, described this initiative as “a turning point in global stances” and called it “an effort to break the deadlock of international law in the face of grave violations in Palestine.”

Although the five European countries attending have not yet formally announced their support for these measures, there is a possibility they may join before the UN General Assembly session on September 20.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who severed his country’s relations with Tel Aviv in 2024, stated at the conference: “Through our courts, ports, and institutions, we can resist a world where the logic of force is prioritized over the rule of law.”

This legal and political action is based on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued in July 2024, which deemed Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for an immediate withdrawal and a halt to settlement expansion.

Previously, in December 2023, South Africa had filed a case against Israel at the same court, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention.

In response, Washington reacted harshly to the conference. The U.S. State Department called The Hague Group “a tool for the politicization of international law” and accused it of “serving anti-Western agendas,” emphasizing that the U.S. would continue to fully support Israel and its allies.