LONDON: The international legal battle over Gaza has deepened as South Africa and Malaysia announced a campaign to uphold rulings from the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, responding to what they described as widespread defiance of international legal orders.
The two nations are spearheading the newly formed Hague Group, a coalition of nine countries — also including Belize, Honduras, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Senegal and Namibia — committed to defending the global legal framework, The Guardian newspaper reported on Friday.
Their initiative follows mounting frustration in the Global South over perceived Western double standards in the application of international law, particularly in the cases of Gaza, Ukraine and Mediterranean human smuggling.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola, said: “The Hague Group’s formation sends a clear message: No nation is above the law and no crime will go unanswered.”
South Africa has taken a leading role in pursuing legal accountability for the war in Gaza, having filed a case at the ICJ accusing Israel of genocide.
Israel has fiercely rejected the claim but interim rulings from the ICJ in January last year mandated it to take immediate measures to prevent genocidal acts and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
However, a recent Oxfam survey of nongovernmental agencies operating in Gaza found that 89 percent of agencies reported deteriorating access to aid since the ICJ’s orders were issued. The ongoing humanitarian crisis and Israel’s apparent noncompliance have intensified calls for international enforcement mechanisms.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the campaign was not about punishing Israel but about defending the integrity of global legal institutions.
“These rulings strike at the very foundations of international law, which the global community has a duty to defend,” he said.
The growing resistance to ICJ rulings has drawn attention to broader concerns over the erosion of international law. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a report outlining steps that member states could take to ensure Israel’s compliance, including reaffirming the ICJ’s finding that its continued occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and should end within a year.
Switzerland has been tasked with convening a conference in March for the 196 signatories of the Geneva Conventions to reaffirm the legal obligations regarding occupied Palestinian territory. A conference in June in New York is set to discuss the feasibility of a two-state solution.
But enforcing ICJ rulings remains a challenge. Newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has endorsed a congressional bill proposing sanctions against any individuals or entities cooperating with ICC investigations targeting the US or its allies. The bill could extend to family members, further complicating efforts to hold Israel accountable.
