Israeli actions strike at foundations of International Law: FP
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Four officials and leaders expressed their opinion in a joint report for Foreign Policy, stressing that the failure to hold "Israel" accountable undermines the United Nations Charter and international law.
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Then Presiding judge Nawaf Salam, center, opens the court session of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 30, 2024. (AP)
A report by Foreign Policy (FP) on Wednesday, written by Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa; Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia; Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia; and Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, the general coordinator of Progressive International and acting chair of the Hague Group. highlights that for over 500 days, "Israel," with the backing of influential nations offering diplomatic protection, military equipment, and political support, has consistently breached international law in the Gaza Strip.
According to the piece, this complicity has deeply compromised the integrity of the United Nations Charter and its fundamental principles of human rights, sovereign equality, and the prohibition of genocide.
That said, a system that permits the killing of an estimated 61,000 people is not merely failing—it has already failed, as stated in the article.
Israeli crimes were on live broadcast and examined by the world’s leading courts. From the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on "Israel’s" unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories to the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for "Israel’s" highest officials, and the preliminary measures taken in the Genocide Convention case filed by South Africa, "Israel’s" actions violate international law.
But that wasn’t enough. Despite these rulings, the Israeli occupation persisted in its violations, challenging the world’s courts by imposing sanctions on officials and openly defying court orders.
The article states that the recent proposal by US President Donald Trump to "take over" Gaza—which implies annexation followed by the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population, with Trump suggesting they should be deported to Egypt and Jordan—fundamentally challenges international law, a principle that the global community must protect.
Such actions would represent a serious breach of international law and the core principles outlined in the UN Charter, according to the writers.
'Israel' legal violations
In September 2024, the UN General Assembly passed a historic resolution outlining the legal obligations of states to bring an end to "Israel’s" illegal occupation. The resolution was backed by an overwhelming majority of 124 nations, highlighting the necessity of “ensuring accountability for all violations of international law to end impunity, ensure justice, deter future violations, protect civilians, and promote peace.”
According to the leaders, alongside Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, and Namibia, the Hague Group was formed—a coalition dedicated to taking decisive, coordinated action to pursue accountability for "Israel’s" crimes.
The Hague Group
The Hague Group’s three founding commitments are motivated by two main imperatives: ending impunity and defending humanity.
The leaders emphasized that "Our governments will comply with the warrants issued by the ICC against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, emphasizing appropriate, fair, and independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level; we will prevent vessels carrying military supplies to Israel from using our ports; and we will prevent all arms transfers that risk enabling further violations of humanitarian law."
They added, "By coordinating our policies, we aim to build a bulwark to defend international law."
It further explains that "the aim of these efforts is not to undermine multilateralism; it is to salvage it. Just as the international community once united to dismantle apartheid in South Africa—through similarly coordinated legal, economic, and diplomatic pressure—we must now unite to enforce international law and protect the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination."
The alternative would be to submit to a world where power alone dictates which laws are upheld and which can be violated at will.
'Fragile ceasefire, Israeli violations'
The FP piece notes that the recent halt in hostilities, the exchange of captives and prisoners, and the return of displaced Palestinian families are positive steps toward resolving this devastating crisis. However, the ceasefire showed fragility, and our shared responsibility to secure a lasting peace has become critically urgent.
The leaders emphasized that the international system cannot endure if it is compromised by those who leverage vetoes and sanctions to shield allies from accountability or use aid and trade as tools of coercion. The threat of punishment is aimed at forcing countries to adopt a submissive stance.
"We cannot remain passive and be forced to publish “calls” and “demands” while the principles of justice that underpin our international order are destroyed."
The report adds that there are only two choices to proceed with: "Either we act together to enforce international law or we risk its collapse. We choose to act, not only for the people of Gaza but for the future of a world where justice prevails over impunity."
"Let this moment mark the beginning of a renewed commitment to internationalism and the principles that bind us as a global community."
