MEXICO CITY

Representatives from more than 20 countries gathered Wednesday in the Colombian capital Bogota for day two of an emergency summit to decide on legal and diplomatic measures against Israel’s ongoing violations of international law in its war in Gaza and the West Bank.

The summit is being led by the Hague Group, a coalition of eight countries -- Colombia, South Africa, Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, and Senegal -- founded in the Netherlands in January, which is working to hold Israel accountable under international law.

Also attending are delegates from other countries, including Türkiye, Brazil, Portugal, Algeria, Lebanon, Oman, Uruguay, Bangladesh, Chile, Djibouti, Indonesia, Nicaragua, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as Palestinian representatives.

Several countries have signed an agreement committing to a series of measures.

The signatories have agreed to take actions including preventing the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment and dual-use items to Israel and preventing the transit, docking, and servicing of vessels at any port, especially if there is a “clear risk” of the vessel being used to carry arms, munitions, or related military equipment to Israel.

To secure compliance, the signing nations have ordered that all vessels carrying arms, munitions, military fuel, and related military equipment to Israel be “de-flagged.”

They also announced an urgent review of all public contracts to prevent public institutions and funds from supporting Israel’s “illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territory.”

Since the Israeli army launched its brutal offensive in Gaza in October 2023, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been a fierce critic of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, labeling the onslaught a genocide.

"Gaza is simply an experiment of the mega-rich trying to show all the peoples of the world how to respond to a rebellion. The plan is to bomb us all, at least those of us in the South," said Petro.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 58,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.