A dozen countries announced a raft of punitive measures against Israel on July 16 following a two-day summit hosted by the Hague Group in Bogotá.
In a joint statement, the eight-member Hague Group – a bloc formed in January which aims to coordinate international action against Israel – hailed “unprecedented measures to halt the Gaza genocide.”
The twelve signatories, who were among thirty nations in attendance, pledged to not supply or transport arms, fuel, or equipment to the Israeli military and to prevent vessels carrying these supplies from using their ports, among other measures.
In addition to disrupting supplies to Israel’s military, the countries also committed to review public contracts to prevent public funds from “supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territory.”
“We are here not only to deliberate, but also to act with legal, ethical and political clarity in the face of one of the most serious moral challenges of our time,” said Colombia’s acting Foreign Minister, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio.
She was joined by delegates hailing mostly from the global south, including Latin America, Africa and Asia. Two European nations – Ireland and Spain – also sent representatives to the conference.
The summit also marked the first meeting of the Hague Group since it was formed earlier this year; according to its website, its members are Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa.
Six members of the bloc signed the declaration, with Honduras and Senegal falling short of making formal commitments. The measures were also formally adopted by Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Nicaragua, Oman, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Among the speakers at the summit was UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, who was sanctioned by the United States last week for her criticism of Jerusalem and Washington.
“We want a change in the global order rooted in justice and mutual collaboration,” said Albanese at the conference.
The measures included a pledge to uphold international law, which would include enforcing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a statement, Israel’s mission to the UN called the conference a “moral travesty”, adding “the war will not end while hostages remain in Gaza.”
Analysts say the summit is unlikely to deter Israel from continuing to bombard Gaza.
“I don’t think necessarily it’s going to make a huge difference,” said Sergio Guzmán, Director at Colombia Risk Analysis, a security think tank.
He noted the absence of major international players and the low-level status of many delegates, with Colombian President Gustavo Petro the only head of state in attendance.
“The majority of delegates who are participating in that meeting are the local diplomatic representations of many countries and not necessarily people who flew in from their posts to come to Bogotá,” said Guzmán.
But Petro maintained the importance of the summit, writing in a Guardian column prior to the event that “governments such as mine cannot afford to remain passive.”
He has consistently decried Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have killed more than 58,000 Palestinians since Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023. Petro also severed diplomatic ties with the country in May 2024.
Addressing delegates at the event, the President hailed it as a success, saying “we came to Bogota to make history… and we did.”
Featured image description: Delegates at the summit in Bogota.
Featured image credit: @InfoPresidencia via X
