At summit in Colombia, the Hague Group of 30 countries convenes to help bring end to war in Gaza
By Elizabeth Insuasti
July 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM EDT
Over 30 countries met for the Emergency Conference of The Hague Group this week in Bogotá, Colombia, to agree on a set of joint measures aimed at holding Israel accountable for its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
Twelve nations — Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa — signed on to a six-measure action plan on Wednesday.
The plan includes a commitment to “prevent the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel” to avoid contributing to genocide and other violations of international law.
Other measures include bans on ships carrying arms to Israel from docking or transiting their territories, a review of public contracts to prevent state funds from supporting Israel’s occupation, and support for “universal jurisdiction mandates,” allowing prosecution of serious international crimes regardless of location.
“Together, we have begun the work of ending the era of impunity,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro in a statement. “These measures show that we will no longer allow international law to be treated as optional, or Palestinian life as disposable.” He added, “We came to Bogotá to make history. And we did.”
“We believe in protagonism, not supplication,” said Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, the executive secretary of The Hague Group, which organized the summit on Wednesday. “Today marks an end to the era of the impunity and the beginning of collective state action by governments of conscience.”
Founded in January, The Hague Group aims to unite countries from the “Global South” to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories.
“These 12 states have taken a momentous step forward,” said UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese in a statement. “The clock is now ticking for states — from Europe to the Arab world and beyond — to join them.”
A U.S. State Department official, meanwhile, told Drop Site News that it “strongly opposes efforts by so-called ‘multilateral blocs’ to weaponize international law as a tool to advance radical anti-Western agendas.”
The commitments are non-binding and limited to the 12 signatory states — less than half of the countries in attendance — but the group set a September 20 deadline for more governments to endorse the measures ahead of the UN General Assembly.
The war in Gaza was triggered following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage by Hamas.
More than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half were women and children.
Twelve nations — Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa — signed on to a six-measure action plan on Wednesday.
The plan includes a commitment to “prevent the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel” to avoid contributing to genocide and other violations of international law.
Other measures include bans on ships carrying arms to Israel from docking or transiting their territories, a review of public contracts to prevent state funds from supporting Israel’s occupation, and support for “universal jurisdiction mandates,” allowing prosecution of serious international crimes regardless of location.
“Together, we have begun the work of ending the era of impunity,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro in a statement. “These measures show that we will no longer allow international law to be treated as optional, or Palestinian life as disposable.” He added, “We came to Bogotá to make history. And we did.”
“We believe in protagonism, not supplication,” said Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, the executive secretary of The Hague Group, which organized the summit on Wednesday. “Today marks an end to the era of the impunity and the beginning of collective state action by governments of conscience.”
Founded in January, The Hague Group aims to unite countries from the “Global South” to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories.
“These 12 states have taken a momentous step forward,” said UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese in a statement. “The clock is now ticking for states — from Europe to the Arab world and beyond — to join them.”
A U.S. State Department official, meanwhile, told Drop Site News that it “strongly opposes efforts by so-called ‘multilateral blocs’ to weaponize international law as a tool to advance radical anti-Western agendas.”
The commitments are non-binding and limited to the 12 signatory states — less than half of the countries in attendance — but the group set a September 20 deadline for more governments to endorse the measures ahead of the UN General Assembly.
The war in Gaza was triggered following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage by Hamas.
More than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half were women and children.