By Nurah Tape – The Palestine Chronicle 
The group aims to address the global supply chains enabling injustice, such as the production and shipment of advanced weaponry used against Palestinians.
Nine countries have announced the formation of The Hague Group to coordinate legal, diplomatic and economic measures against Israel’s violations of international law.
The move comes as representatives from South Africa, Malaysia, Namibia, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Senegal, Honduras and Belize gathered in The Hague on Friday in a meeting hosted by Progressive International, a global political organization comprised of activists and organizations worldwide.
.@VarshaGandikota “So what is the Hague Group?.. just as the intl community once united to dismantle apartheid in SA, through similarly coordinated legal & diplomatic pressure we must unite to enforce intl law & protect the inalienable right of Palestinians to self determination” pic.twitter.com/KcP7T86Ozs
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) January 31, 2025
“This is a group for collective action at a national level, international level and at a multilateral level,” Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, the Co-General Coordinator of Progressive International, said at the launch.
“Because we live in an interconnected world, and as we’ve seen clearly with Israel’s actions in Gaza, the mechanisms of injustice are found in the fabric of global supply chains,” she explained.
‘Bulwark to Defend IHL’
“We know that advanced weaponry cannot be built without technology, without materials, without components, from factories that span across continents. We know that they can’t be shipped to be used against the Palestinian people without using ports and logistics networks that are on each of our own soils and each of our own territories,” Gandikota-Nellutla continued.
Launch of the Hague Group in the Netherlands.
Convened by the @progintl it joins countries from around the world committed to upholding international law, responding to threats against the ICC and defending Palestinian rights.
The time for justice and accountability is now. pic.twitter.com/X8emtoA9xu
— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) January 31, 2025
Therefore, by coordinating the commitments “that many of these nations have already championed across our ports, across our factories, across our courts, the Hague Group aims to build a bulwark to defend international law.”
She pointed out that just as the international community “once united to dismantle apartheid in South Africa through similarly coordinated legal and diplomatic pressure, we must now unite to enforce international law and protect the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.”
UN Resolutions, ICC and ICJ Declaration
A joint statement by the group declared that the nations were “Determined to uphold our obligations to end the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and support the realization of the inalienable right of the Palestinian People to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine.”
The group also pledged to uphold the UN Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24 and, in the case of States Parties, support the requests of the International Criminal Court comply with their obligations under the Rome Statute, with regards to the warrants issued on November 21, 2024; and implement the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice, issued on January 26, March 28, and May 24, 2024.
The statement adopted following the meeting commits states to:
1. Uphold the arrest warrants issued against Israeli officials by the International Criminal Court;
2. Prevent provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel, where there is a clear risk…
— Progressive International (@ProgIntl) January 31, 2025
It also declared its intention to prevent the provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel, “in all cases where there is a clear risk that such arms and related items might be used to commit or facilitate violations of humanitarian law, international human rights law, or the prohibition on genocide.”
Call to Other States
In addition, it was pledged to “prevent the docking of vessels at any port, if applicable, within our territorial jurisdiction, in all cases where there is a clear risk of the vessel being used to carry military fuel and weaponry to Israel, which might be used to commit or facilitate violations of humanitarian law, of international human rights law, and of the prohibition on genocide in Palestine.”
Read the Inaugural Joint Statement of The Hague Group online now: https://t.co/fQ4aG5ZMjk pic.twitter.com/JctqRj2i17
— Progressive International (@ProgIntl) January 31, 2025
The group said it would “take further effective measures to end Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and remove obstacles to the realization of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine.”
It also invited “all states” to take all possible actions and policies to end Israel’s occupation of Palestine and called on “all nations to join us in The Hague Group in the solemn commitment to an international order based on the rule of law and international law, which, together with the principles of justice, is essential for peaceful coexistence and cooperation among States.”
‘Concrete Measures’ – Namibia
Yvonne Dausab, Namibia’s Minister of Justice, said the “Human Rights Council, the General Assembly, and the Security Council have all been paralyzed by states who blindly support Israel as an occupying power without consequences and consideration for human rights of the Palestinian people.”
Speaking at the launch, she vowed that Namibia will again stand with other states before the ICJ “as we join South Africa in their case against Israel, aimed at holding them accountable for genocidal crimes committed against the Palestinian people.”
LIVE FROM THE HAGUE:
“When future generations enquire about our contribution to Palestine’s right to self determination, our response must be: we took concrete measures.”
“Or, we will be remembered as leaders who watched and did nothing.”
—Namibia’s Minister of Justice
🇳🇦🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/FewhG4Xovz
— sarah (@sahouraxo) January 31, 2025
Dausab said that while the Gaza ceasefire is welcomed, along with the progress made in releasing detainees on both sides, “every effort must be made to de-escalate the violence and this brutal war.”
“The hope of peace and security for the women, men, and children of Palestine must not be compromised. We must protect the integrity of the ceasefire, said Dausab.
The Justice Minister noted that in August 2024, Namibia revoked permission for the vessel MV Katrin, suspected of transporting military cargo to Israel, to dock on its shores.
Dusab called on all other states to take the same position in compliance with international law and the decision of the ICJ.
“When future generations inquire our contribution to Palestine’s right to self-determination, our response must be that we took concrete measures, or we will be remembered as leaders who watched and did nothing,” she asked.
‘Enabling Israel’ – South Africa
Alvin Botes, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, highlighted that the international community “cannot proclaim the importance of international law, including that of the UN Charter, if it is only applied in some situations and not in others.”
“We should not pick and choose which binding orders to abide by and which to set aside or simply ignore,” said Botes.
“…. Israel is indeed an apartheid state”
South African govt minister HE Alvin Botes speaking at the launch of the Hague Group, a group of nations joining together to coordinate legal, diplomatic and economic measures against Israels violations of intl law. pic.twitter.com/Q6nX6mv4dg
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) January 31, 2025
“Enabling Israel to simply ignore decisions of the Courts and the United Nations with no consequence, is negatively impacting the integrity of the international legal order, including the organisations that are mandated to ensure accountability and ending impunity,” Botes stressed.
“This is unacceptable and we should not be complicit in Israel’s endeavours to irreparably harm the institutions that were established to build a more peaceful and just world,” he continued in his statement at the group’s inauguration.
He pledged that South Africa would continue to act “within the institutions of global governance” to protect the rights, “including the fundamental right to life,” of Palestinians in Gaza, and to ensure Palestinian self-determination.
Initiative Welcomed
South Africa filed a case of genocide against Israel at the ICJ in late 2023, accusing Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. Several countries have since joined the case, including Ireland, Türkiye, Nicaragua, Spain, Mexico, and Colombia.
In October, South Africa filed its memorial to the ICJ which it says contains evidence that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention in its military offensive in the enclave which has killed over 47,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.
This is absolutely the best news that has come from a coalition of policy-makers in a long time.
Let it be justice. Let’s make it real.
And let’s keep growing. https://t.co/6oYsCmovPT— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) January 31, 2025
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the oPT, welcomed the formation of the group.
“This is absolutely the best news that has come from a coalition of policy-makers in a long time. Let it be justice. Let’s make it real. And let’s keep growing,” Albanese said on X.
The Permanent Representative of Palestine in the Netherlands, Ambassador Ammar Hijazi, said “Today is an important day not only for Palestine but for humanity as a whole.”
Watch the full inauguration here.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Nurah Tape is a South Africa-based journalist. She is an editor with The Palestine Chronicle.
