More than 30 countries meet in Colombia to demand concrete measures against Israel.

247 - Representatives from more than thirty countries are meeting this Tuesday (15), in Bogotá, Colombia, to discuss and announce concrete measures against Israel, in the face of the humanitarian devastation in the Gaza Strip. The emergency meeting was convened by the Hague Group, an initiative founded in January 2025 by countries of the Global South, reports the RFI.

The meeting marks an unprecedented effort to coordinate diplomatic and legal responses to the impasse in ceasefire negotiations and the inaction of major Western powers in the face of Israel's continued violations of international law. According to updated figures, the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 58—mostly women and children—since the start of the Israeli offensive in October 2023.

The group wants to push for real action against the genocide. “The idea is not to create new international law, which already exists, but rather to apply this law through concrete, real, collective and coordinated political measures to put an end to the massacre, to put an end to the genocide,” explained Guillaume Long, diplomatic advisor to the Hague Group. “When states unite and raise their voices around specific issues, they have more weight and influence than when they act in isolation,” he added.

Long's statements reflect a feeling of frustration with the paralysis of multilateral institutions. The group's proposal is to transform this frustration into effective actions that include sanctions, the severing of diplomatic relations, an arms trade blockade, and support for ongoing international judicial processes.

Petrobras government leads initiative with support from other countries in the Global South - One of the movement's main leaders, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, defended the urgency of action. "We cannot accept the return of times of genocide before our very eyes and with our passivity. If Palestine dies, humanity dies," stated the president, who broke off diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv in May 2024. Colombia, like Brazil, supports South Africa's action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention.

Besides South Africa and Colombia, the Hague Group includes countries such as Malaysia, Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Namibia, and Senegal. These states are inspired by the international mobilization against apartheid in South Africa, seeking to replicate a multilateral strategy to isolate Israel politically and economically.

International presence enhances the legitimacy of the meeting. Despite being led by countries from the Global South, the Bogotá conference also attracted representatives from Europe, the Arab world, and international organizations. Delegations from Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, Lebanon, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Algeria, Chile, and Botswana confirmed their attendance. France was invited but has not yet responded.

The UN will be represented by Philippe Lazzarini, director of the agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), and by Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on Palestine — which was recently targeted by sanctions from the United States government.

Proposals include sanctions and support for the International Criminal Court. Among the main measures under discussion are:

• Blocking the supply and transit of weapons destined for Israel;
• Support for the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant;
• Implementation of the UN resolution of September 18, 2024, which demands an end to the Israeli occupation by September 2025;
• Strengthening the case brought by South Africa at the ICJ for genocide.

According to Guillaume Long, “this is not a formal meeting of the Hague Group, but a call made by Colombia and South Africa, as co-chairs, to bring together a large number of countries around urgent and concrete measures.” He reiterated that the objective is “to apply existing international law.”

Humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza after more than 600 days of siege. While the death toll rises daily, some 2,3 million Palestinians have faced famine, destruction, and healthcare collapse for over 600 days. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain stalled, and the International Conference for Peace in Palestine—proposed by the UN and co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia—remains without a date set.

Amid the paralysis of major powers and institutional sluggishness, the initiative led by countries like Colombia and South Africa seeks to restore the effectiveness of multilateralism. In Bogotá, dozens of states are attempting to transform global outrage into concrete actions—and salvage what little credibility remains in international law.