Hague Group announces steps to hold Israel accountable in Bogota summit

A radical of 12 countries from crossed the satellite has committed to barring arms transfers to Israel, among different steps.

A conjugation of countries has announced astatine a gathering successful the Colombian superior of Bogota that they volition prosecute accountability for Israeli abuses successful Gaza, including by preventing the transportation of weapons to Israel.

The two-day gathering concluded connected Wednesday with 2 twelve countries agreeing to six measures to “restrain Israel’s battle connected the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.

They see Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and South Africa.

“We judge successful protagonism, not supplication,” said Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, the enforcement caput of The Hague Group, which organised the summit.

“Today marks an extremity to the epoch of the impunity and the opening of corporate authorities enactment by governments of conscience.”

Founded successful January, the Hague Group seeks to bring unneurotic countries from the “Global South” — a loosely defined portion of processing economies — to unit Israel to extremity its warfare connected Gaza and the concern of the Palestinian territories.

Among the steps announced by the radical are the denial of arms to Israel, a prohibition connected ships transporting specified arms and a reappraisal of nationalist contracts for imaginable links to companies that payment from the Israeli occupation.

The six measures besides included enactment for “universal jurisdiction mandates”, which would let states oregon planetary bodies to prosecute superior planetary crimes, careless of wherever they took place.

“The delegates present that person been discussing these measures for 2 days are calling it the astir ambitious, multilateral program since the opening of Israel’s war successful Gaza 21 months ago,” Al Jazeera analogous Alessandro Rampietti reported from Bogota.

The 12 countries that agreed to the measures, however, correspond less than fractional of the 30 countries successful attendance astatine the Bogota summit.

And critics question however effectual smaller economies tin beryllium successful dissuading Israel from its subject campaign, particularly fixed the multibillion-dollar enactment it receives from the United States.

Israel has fixed small denotation that planetary outrage has slowed down its attacks connected Gaza, adjacent aft experts astatine the United Nations (UN) and large humanitarian organisations compared its tactics to genocide.

Israeli forces proceed to displace Palestinians and restrict their access to food, substance and water. At slightest 58,573 Palestinians person been killed since the warfare began successful October 2023.

While the bulk of the countries astatine this week’s Bogota league did not instantly motion connected to Wednesday’s measures, the Hague Group expressed optimism that much could articulation in.

In a statement, the radical acceptable a deadline of September 20 for others to enactment — a day chosen to coincide with the commencement of the UN General Assembly.

“Consultations with capitals crossed the satellite are present ongoing,” the connection said.

Officials attending the acme besides hailed the six measures arsenic portion of a larger effort to spot distant astatine Israeli impunity.

“Ministers, the information is that Palestine has already triggered a revolution, and you are portion of it,” said Francesca Albanese, the United Nations peculiar rapporteur connected the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Palestine has changed planetary consciousness, drafting a wide enactment betwixt those who reason genocide and those who judge it oregon are portion of it.”

Albanese was precocious sanctioned by the US for her outspoken disapproval of Israel’s actions.

The acme has go a awesome of the increasing calls from non-Western nations for satellite leaders to enforce planetary instrumentality successful Gaza, wherever critics accidental Israel has consistently flouted quality rights law.

Developing nations specified arsenic South Africa and Colombia, which cohosted the conference, person been astatine the forefront of specified accountability efforts.

South Africa, for instance, filed a lawsuit successful December 2023 astatine the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging that Israel perpetrated genocide successful Gaza. And Colombia announced it would chopped ties with Israel successful May 2024 implicit its subject campaign.

“We came to Bogota to marque history,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said successful a statement. “And we did.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies