Forty nations meet in The Hague to discuss measures against Israel’s West Bank annexation
Ammar Hijazi, the Palestinian ambassador to the Netherlands, speaks at a conference in The Hague on 4 March 2026
Sondos Asem reports in Middle East Eye on 4 March 2026:
Forty countries gathered in The Hague on Wednesday to discuss coordinated measures aimed at enforcing international law in Palestine, as governments warn that Israel’s expanding settlement activity in the occupied West Bank amounts to de facto annexation.
The meeting, co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia and convened under the umbrella of The Hague Group, brought together governments from across the Global South and beyond to seek ways to translate political statements into concrete state action.
Founded in January 2025, The Hague Group was established to coordinate international legal responses to Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories and its genocide in Gaza. Wednesday’s gathering was the largest meeting organised by the group since its launch last year and comes amid mounting concern over Israel’s settlement expansion and military operations in the West Bank.
In a joint statement issued after the meeting, participating states reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter, the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force and the right of peoples to self-determination.
They agreed on three concrete measures that will be further developed and formally presented at a forthcoming ministerial meeting.
Among the measures were steps aimed at strengthening accountability for alleged international crimes, including possible disclosure requirements for travellers who have served in the Israeli military, which could subject them to additional screening under national war crimes legislation.
Another measure is to enforce non-recognition of Israeli settlements by banning imports of settlement goods and preventing domestic companies from operating in them. A third measure is to halt the transfer or transit of arms, military fuel and dual-use items to Israel and review public contracts to ensure state funds do not support the occupation.
The statement said the measures discussed were designed to ensure there is “no safe haven” for perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or the crime of aggression.
The gathering brought together governments from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. States represented are: Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Iraq, Indonesia, Libya, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, Pakistan, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
De facto annexation