NOTE: The Friends of the Hague Group is composed of social movements from around the world. Below is the initial statement from the group outlining objectives as set forth by Palestinian social movements. It provides guidance for people and organizations who are working in solidarity with Palestinians to stop the genocide and liberate themselves from Israeli occupation. For more information, visit ICSGP.org.
Friends of The Hague Group (FoTHG) launched in Bogotá on July 17, 2025, to support multilateral efforts like that of The Hague Group (THG) to end the Israeli genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people, and to ensure that all such efforts be grounded in the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including: the right to self-determination; the right of return for all Palestinian refugees and deportees forcibly displaced since 1948; and the right to full reparation, including restitution, compensation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition.
FoTHG is guided by the demands of Palestinian Civil Society convening organizations, and prioritizes the leadership of FoTHG founding international organizations based in the Global South.
The Palestinian Civil Society Unified Call for Action, along with PNGO’s Urgent Call for International Protection—both published in July 2025—provide FoTHG with a clear initial set of objectives. FoTHG calls on social movements, solidarity organizations and unions to amplify the demands of Palestinian Civil Society through targeted pressure campaigns to move national governments to implement the measures listed in the Unified Call for Action (as individual states, through multilateral efforts like THG, and in the context of the UN General Assembly), and by firmly supporting governments that take such measures when they face threats of retaliation for doing so.
FoTHG salutes Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa and Türkiye, for their commitment in the context of The Hague Group’s July 2025 declaration, to implement the rough equivalents of five out of the 20 measures listed in the Palestinian Civil Society Unified Call for Action. These measures include:
- Impose a two-way military embargo on Israel, covering all arms, military technology, surveillance equipment, jet fuel, training, joint exercises, military bases and the export, import, transfer, and transit of all parts, components, and dual-use items (related THG measure: “Prevent the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel”)
- Prohibit coastal passage and docking of vessels in their territorial waters carrying weapons, military and dual use equipment, fuel, or goods supporting Israel’s occupation, genocide, apartheid or illegal settlements; prohibit vessels flying their flag from carrying such military and dual-use materiel (related THG measures: “Prevent the transit, docking, and servicing of vessels at any port…. in all cases where there is a clear risk of the vessel being used to carry arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel” and “Prevent the carriage of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel on vessels bearing our flag… and ensure full accountability, including de-flagging, for non-compliance with this prohibition”)
- Investigate and prosecute nationals involved in crimes against Palestinians, including dual citizens in the Israeli military, and issue directives discouraging enlistment (related THG measure: “Comply with obligations to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law, through robust, impartial and independent investigations and prosecutions at national or international levels, to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes”).
- Activate universal jurisdiction to prosecute perpetrators of international crimes against Palestinians in domestic courts (related THG measure: “Support universal jurisdiction mandates, as and where applicable in national legal frameworks and judiciaries, to ensure justice for victims of international crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”).
- End all economic aid and cooperation agreements that sustain Israel’s unlawful occupation and apartheid regime, including cancelling free trade agreements (related THG measure: Commence an urgent review of all public contracts, to prevent public institutions and funds from supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territory and entrenching its unlawful presence);
FoTHG additionally salutes Colombia, South Africa, Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, for their commitment through THG in January 2025 to a sixth demand listed in the Palestinian Civil Society Unified Call for Action, namely:
- Enforce ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant by arresting and transferring them to The Hague if present within jurisdiction, including airspace (related THG measure: “Uphold the UN Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24 and, in the case of States Parties, support the requests of the International Criminal Court and comply with our obligations under the Rome Statute, with regards to the warrants issued on 21 November 2024; and implement the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice, issued on 26 January, 28 March, and 24 May 2024”).
FoTHG urges all states who have not yet done so to take the action called for by Palestinian Civil Society in its Unified Call for Action of “[joining] the Hague Group, aligning with Global South states advancing accountability measures to support Palestinian self-determination,” and further insists that all states immediately commit to the Palestinian Civil Society’s Unified Call for Action’s remaining concrete accountability measures “in line with third states’ erga omnes obligations, not to recognize, aid, or assist Israel’s unlawful apartheid, genocide, occupation and the denial of the Palestinian right to self-determination,” including:
- Enforce diplomatic sanctions, including by expelling Israeli ambassadors and suspending official visits and cooperation with Israeli authorities;
- Impose targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on individuals and institutions complicit in Israel’s international crimes;
- Impose a two-way energy embargo by halting all imports/exports of oil, gas, and coal; divesting from extraction projects; and terminating all agreements involving transit and pipelines, and infrastructure involving occupied Palestinian territory, including its maritime zones
- Terminate all bilateral and multilateral Free Trade and Cooperation Agreements, especially the EU-Israel Association Agreement under Article 2 violation, and all EU-funded cooperation programs, including academic, cultural and sports programs, and the Mercosur-Israel Free Trade Agreement;
- Adopt national legislation preventing businesses within your jurisdiction from operating, trading, investing, or maintaining Israel’s illegal occupation, including its settlement enterprise;
- Ensure that corporate entities and financial institutions under your jurisdiction divest any assets from Israeli and complicit companies and corporations implicated in international crimes.
- Repeal all domestic laws and policies that criminalize Palestinian solidarity, especially through protests and boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigning;
- Support the ICC investigation into the situation in Palestine by protecting its staff, opposing sanctions, increasing financial support, and pressuring Israel to grant access to Palestine to ICC staff to conduct independent investigations;
- Refer the Situation in Palestine to the ICC, where not yet done, emphasizing crimes of apartheid, genocide, and crimes related to the unlawful occupation.
- Support the ICJ cases brought by South Africa against Israel for genocide, and by Nicaragua against Germany for aiding it, including by submitting declaration of intervention under Article 63 of the Statute of Court.
…and, specifically in the context of the United Nations:
- Demand that the UNGA reconstitute the UN Special Committee against Apartheid and UN Centre Against Apartheid, to bring Israel’s apartheid to an end.
- Demand that the UNGA suspend Israel’s membership for violating its membership conditions, including non-compliance with Resolution 194. This is compounded by its systematic violations and attacks on UN principles and institutions;
- Support the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the oPt and Israel, including by pressuring Israel to grant access to Palestine for independent investigations.
Additionally, FoTHG calls on all states to immediately take the actions called for by PNGO in its 30 July, 2025 Urgent Call for International Protection:
- International Protection: The international community must intervene to secure humanitarian corridors, ensuring the safe and unimpeded entry of aid into Gaza—free from Israeli restrictions and looting by occupation-backed militias.
- Civilian Protection: The targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers must end. The UN and responsible states must deploy international mechanisms to protect Palestinians and ensure aid reaches those in need.
- End Israeli Control Over Aid: The ability to decide life and death for millions of Palestinians must not remain in the hands of the Israeli occupation. An independent, internationally supervised aid distribution system must be established.
Finally, FOTHG insists that Palestinian Civil Society leadership, including FOTHG convening organizations, be directly involved as equal parties to state representatives in all multilateral efforts taking part on behalf of the Palestinian people.
