The inauguration meeting of the Hague Group in The Hague, February 1, 2025. Photo: Embassy of the State of Palestine in South Africa.
A group of eight (formerly nine) nations known as The Hague Group recently announced an emergency ministerial meeting on Palestine, to be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bogota on 15-16 July 2025. The meeting will focus on the question of international law and accountability in the context of the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
In a joint statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, co-chairs of the group, stated that the meeting will outline a plan for concrete actions to enforce international law and end the genocide in Palestine through coordinated state action.
What is The Hague Group?
On 31 January 2025, representatives from Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa met in the Hague, Netherlands, to form a group committed to upholding and enforcing legal mandates issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Belize later withdrew from the group without offering a clear reason.
The group emerged in the wake of the ICC’s arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials, citing alleged war crimes committed between 8 October 2023 and 20 May 2024. The ICJ ruling that ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah to avoid harming civilians also provided a legal and moral impetus for the group’s formation.
In its inaugural meeting, members emphasised the need for collective action to defend justice, equality, and human rights. They declared their refusal to remain silent in the face of international crimes and affirmed their commitment to leading a coordinated legal battle in support of Palestinian self-determination and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.
Recalling the ICJ orders in the case of South Africa vs Israel, the group’s inaugural statement noted that “the legal norms violated by Israel include certain obligations of an erga omnes character that are, by their very nature, the concern of all States” and that “all States can be held to have a legal interest in their protection.”
How does it plan to work?
The Hague Group aims to coordinate legal, diplomatic, and economic measures against Israel’s actions that it considers violations of international law. In its inaugural statement, the group outlined three key areas of action designed to uphold international law through coordinated state efforts.
- First, the group is committed to upholding the UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/ES-10/24, adopted on 18 September 2024. The resolution addresses the legal consequences of Israel’s continued presence in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. It welcomed ICJ’s advisory opinion which found Israel’s presence in Palestine territory as unlawful and called for an end to settlement activities. The resolution also demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territory within 12 months and urged all member states and international organisations to recognise the illegality of the occupation and uphold international law. Complying with their obligations under the Rome Statute, the group also pledged to support the arrest warrants issued by the ICC on 21 November 2024 against Israel’s PM and other senior officials. The Rome Statute is a treaty adopted in 1998 that established the ICC as a permanent institution responsible for prosecuting four core international crimes—genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.
- Second, the group announced its intention to prevent the supply or transfer of arms, ammunition, and related equipment to Israel, citing the risk that such arms and related equipment could help facilitate violations of humanitarian law, international human rights law, or the Genocide Convention.
- Third, the group plans to block vessels carrying military fuel and weaponry destined for Israel from docking ports in their territorial jurisdiction, on the ground that such cargo might be used to facilitate violations of humanitarian law, international human rights law, or the Genocide Convention.
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These measures build on steps already taken by some of the individual member states of The Hague Group. In 2023, South Africa brought a case against Israel at ICJ, accusing it of committing genocide during its military campaign in Gaza. The ICJ responded on 26 January 2024 by issuing provisional measures requiring Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide. Several states and international organisations, including The Hague Group signatories Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, and Cuba, later joined the case.
In August 2024, Namibia blocked a ship carrying weapons to Israel from docking in its ports. A few months earlier, Malaysia banned all Israeli-flagged ships from docking at its ports, reinforcing its stance against Israel’s military actions.
Building on these precedents, the upcoming ministerial meeting in Bogota is expected to formalise a coordinated legal and diplomatic plan to hold Israel accountable and to push for an end to its military operations and occupation in Palestinian territories.
Why does it matter?
The significance of the group is largely symbolic rather than material, as their actions may not carry enough geopolitical weight to compel Israel to change its course. However, as a coordinated multilateral effort to defend international law and hold Israel accountable, the group serves as a reminder that international legal norms should be treated as binding, not optional.
At a time when institutions like the ICC face political pushback, including the threat of sanctions from the US over its actions against Israeli leaders, the formation of The Hague Group sends a powerful signal of support for the international justice system.
The ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials is highly significant. Although Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute, the warrants highlight willingness within the international legal community to hold all actors accountable, regardless of their alliances. It is the first time a Western-allied leader has been accused of war crimes and become subject to an ICC arrest warrant. This unprecedented move has raised serious concerns in Western capitals, and Israel immediately labelled it “antisemitic”.
Ultimately, The Hague Group’s efforts may not lead to any radical shift in Tel Aviv’s or Washington’s approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, asserting that international legal principles apply equally to all nations, the group could reshape public discourse on international justice, accountability, and most importantly, the crisis in Palestine.
