Forty nations meet in The Hague to discuss measures against Israel’s West Bank annexation

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.

This is extremely significant. When we founded The Hague Group in Jan 2025, nine states stood together. Today, 40 states at our meeting on accountability.

It is clear: Only collective action can break the power of unilateral punishment meted to states that support Palestine. pic.twitter.com/ctV252y537

— Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla (@VarshaGandikota) March 4, 2026

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

Participants met against the backdrop of Israel’s approval of the controversial E1 settlement project and other policies that diplomats at the meeting said threaten the territorial contiguity required for a viable Palestinian state.

On 8 February, Israel's cabinet introduced sweeping measures that overhaul governance in the West Bank, expanding Israel’s civilian authority in areas it has ruled under military law for nearly six decades. 

In practice, the steps extend what officials describe as Israeli “sovereignty” over the territory, a long-standing goal of right-wing and ultra-nationalist settler movements. 

They also further weaken the Palestinian Authority’s limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank and dismantle the Oslo Accords framework. 

Explained: The Israeli measures imposing de facto annexation in the West Bank

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Officials meeting in The Hague said the discussions focused on enforcing legal obligations outlined in a July 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice and a subsequent UN General Assembly resolution calling on states to avoid recognising Israel’s occupation as lawful and to prevent assistance that could sustain it.

Mauricio Jaramillo, Colombia’s vice-minister of multilateral affairs, said the meeting reflected growing frustration among governments over what they see as a lack of enforcement of international law.

“Israel is carrying out dispossession in plain sight,” Jaramillo said in remarks shared with Middle East Eye ahead of the meeting.

“After Gaza, entrenching its de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank is the next step in a project of permanent occupation.”

He added that governments now faced a choice between upholding international law or allowing impunity to prevail.

“History will judge our actions. With the law - or with impunity. With the rights of a people - or with their erasure. Colombia chooses to act.”

Ammar Hijazi, the Palestinian ambassador to the Netherlands, welcomed the meeting, describing it as a rare example of governments seeking to operationalise legal obligations under international law.

He said the legal framework surrounding Israel’s occupation was already well established.

'By standing up for Palestine, The Hague Group is acting on behalf of the international community to defend the law-based order'

- Ammar Hijazi, Palestinian ambassador

“The legal framework is not in dispute,” Hijazi said.

“The prohibition of annexation, the right to self-determination and the obligations of third states are firmly established in international law.

“What is required is implementation.” 

Hijazi said the initiative represented an effort by governments to defend the international legal order at a time when many Palestinians believe it is being undermined.

“By standing up for Palestine, The Hague Group is acting on behalf of the international community to defend the law-based order, which is under threat, for the benefit of humanity,” he said.

In response to Israel's genocide in Gaza continuing with impunity, The Hague Group sponsored a two-day emergency summit in Bogota in July 2025, culminating in a joint declaration by states demanding international sanctions against Israel and legal accountability for what participants described as "grave violations of international law" in Gaza. 

Since then, many states have expressed support for the group's goals, without formally becoming members. These include Turkey, Spain and Ireland, which have imposed their own sanctions against Israel over the past year in line with The Hague Group's pledges.