What is the Hague Group and why was it established?

After the ceasefire was declared and 15 months of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip passed, nine countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America have formed a group called The Hague Group to defend Palestine.

At a meeting held in The Hague in the Netherlands, organized by the International Development Association, representatives of the nine countries have called for diplomatic and economic measures to be taken against the Zionist regime of Israel due to serious violations of human rights and international law in Gaza.

Following the talks, representatives from South Africa, Malaysia, Namibia, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Senegal, Honduras and Belize announced that they had formed the group to defend Palestinian rights. A statement issued by the nine countries said: "We cannot remain silent in the face of international crimes and are determined to fulfill our commitments to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land and to support efforts to achieve the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to an independent Palestinian state."

One of the results of the 15 months of Zionist crimes and genocide in the Gaza Strip is the exposure of the true face of the fake and child-killing Israeli regime, which is based on the policy of occupying foreign lands, killing civilians and expelling millions of Palestinians from their homes. In its entire 76 years of existence, Israel has never been opposed in international forums to this extent. Over the past seven decades, the Zionists have always tried to justify the invasion and occupation of Palestinian lands with false narratives about the existence of Jews in Palestine. In this vein, any opposition and criticism of the world, especially in Western countries, against these colonial policies has been labeled as anti-Semitism. Criticism and protests against Israeli crimes result in the perpetrator being punished with dismissal, fines and imprisonment. However, over the past 15 months, the world has become increasingly aware of the plight of the oppressed Palestinian people and the crimes committed by the Zionist Israeli regime. Recently, the Palestinian European Media Center announced that Europe has witnessed more than 30,000 protests and rallies in 619 cities and 20 countries during the 470 days of Israel's war against the people of the Gaza Strip.

Another issue caused by the awakening of world public opinion, especially in Western countries, regarding Israel is the movement of some international institutions against the Zionists despite the strong influence of European and American countries in these institutions. Some countries such as South Africa, which is among the victims of apartheid, have tried to use all the power of international institutions to condemn the crimes of the Zionists and stop the Israeli massacre in Gaza. In December 2023, South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, using the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide (1948). The case, strengthened and gaining strength after countries such as Colombia, Nicaragua and Mexico joined the lawsuit, emphasizes the "urgent need to end Israeli atrocities." In January 2024, the International Court of Justice issued interim orders requiring Israel to stop the acts of genocide and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza. Although the Zionists and their supporters, namely the United States and Europe, did not implement the sentence, its issuance alone was a legal and political blow to the image of Israel's pseudo-rule in the international arena.

Following a complaint filed by South Africa, the International Criminal Court (ICC) also found Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the regime's former Minister of War, Yoav Gallant, guilty of committing war crimes and issued arrest warrants for them in every member state of the court.

Currently, steps have been taken by some countries to stop the war of the regime that kills Israeli children on the international stage. Previously, it was unthinkable that these countries, which had no influence on the international stage, could challenge not only the Israeli regime but also the governments of European countries and the United States that support Israel's crimes with their state and resources. Most of the European countries that support the Israeli regime are members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and are now in a situation where, against their will, they are forced to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they travel to Europe.

The Zionists were not only defeated by Hamas and Palestinian fighters in the war in Gaza, but the creation of The Hague Group, established by Asian, African and Latin American countries to defend Palestine, shows that the struggle against the Zionists continues in the international arena.