Hague Group co-chaired by SA to hold emergency meeting over Middle East conflict

2026-03-03 - 09:53

A group co-chaired by South Africa will meet on Wednesday in the Dutch city of Den Haag to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Hague Group called for an emergency meeting on Monday to pressure combatants in the Middle East to cease hostilities. Formed in January 2025, the Hague Group consists of eight founding members and stated on Monday that at least 30 nations would be represented at the emergency dialogue. As well as the current co-chairs, South Africa and Colombia, the founding members of the Hague Group are Cuba, Honduras, Bolivia, Namibia, Senegal and Malaysia. The group has no formal association with the International Criminal Court or the International Court of Justice, headquartered in the Dutch city. Focus on Israel Founded prior to an unsteady ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Hague Group aimed to ensure “accountability for Israel’s grave violations of international law against the Palestinian people”. The group this week accused Israel of attempting to unilaterally expand its territory with its military offensive against Iran. “On 17 February, 85 states opposed any form of annexation and reaffirmed their commitment to take concrete measures in accordance with international law,” the group stated on Monday. The Hague Group’s focus on Israel had previously extended to working with members to prevent exports to Israel and reviewing public contracts, among other actions. “The Hague Group’s formation sends a clear message: no nation is above the law, and no crime will go unanswered,” stated South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola in the group’s inaugural statement. ‘Governments of conscience’ Lamola urged the widespread participation of “governments of conscience” in the dialogue scheduled for Wednesday. “The application of international law can no longer be selective: punitive for some and totally disregarded by others. “The Hague Group exists to translate obligations that arise out of international law into coordinated state actions,” stated the minister. The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, has accepted the invitation. “Time has come for decolonised multilateralism, grounded in universal rights and obligations, applied with integrity and free from double standards. May European and Arab states join this necessary effort,” Albanese stated on X. Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice-Minister of Multilateral Affair, Mauricio Jaramillo, was in agreement. “Israel is carrying out dispossession in plain sight. After Gaza, entrenching its de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank is the next step in a project of permanent occupation. “History will judge our actions,” stated Jaramillo. Strikes on Iran ‘not utopian’ There has been no sign of hostilities easing as the United States and Israel continue their offensive, with Iran and its allies retaliating. Israel has traded rocket fire with forces in Lebanon, with the former claiming to killed a senior Hezbollah intelligence official. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend that its forces were in “the heart of Tehran” and the military campaign would continue. “We are in a campaign in which we are bringing the entire strength of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], as never before, to this campaign to ensure our existence and our future,” the Prime minister said. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a briefing on Monday to provide an update on the objectives of the assault. “The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused. Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure. “Our ambitions are not utopian; they are realistic, scoped to our interests and the defence of our people and our allies,” Hegseth said. NOW READ: Has Dirco left South Africans in the UAE in the dark?