The Israeli genocide in Gaza faced renewed diplomatic pressure as the Hague Group, a growing alliance of activist states, convened in New York to advance coordinated legal and economic measures aimed at isolating "Israel".

Speaking at the meeting, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Mohamad Hasan, said the international community had a legal and moral obligation to deny "Israel the tools of genocide.”

He urged governments to block the transfer of weapons, heavy machinery, and other dual-use goods to "Israel", while also targeting multinational corporations that enable the occupation of Palestinian land.

The Hague Group, co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, has emerged as a hub for collective action against "Israel", ranging from potential port and airport restrictions to support for aid flotillas attempting to break Gaza’s siege. Members have also discussed excluding "Israel" from international cultural and sporting events.

'An inflection point in the struggle for accountability'

Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, told the gathering, “We must turn indignation into action, law into justice, and justice into peace.” He stressed that under international law, states are not only prohibited from committing genocide but also obligated to prevent it. “Failure to do so may give rise to state responsibility, including complicity,” he said.

Brazil, which last week joined South Africa’s genocide case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has called for the creation of a permanent international body modeled on the UN’s anti-apartheid committee to coordinate global action. Chile, another member, recently recalled its ambassador from "Israel" in protest.

Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s envoy to the UN, hailed the Hague Group as “an inflection point in the struggle for accountability,” saying urgent steps were needed to halt the flow of arms and services to "Israel".

Zane Dangor, a senior South African diplomat, acknowledged the difficulty of proving intent in genocide cases but said consensus was solidifying that "Israel’s" war on Gaza met that threshold. “Stopping a genocide is not discretionary, it is an obligation,” he insisted.

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