The initiative is a direct response to the impunity of Zionism and the complicit silence of Western powers.

During an event held in Bogota on Thursday, ALBA Movements presented the “Friends of The Hague Group” (FoTHG), a coalition of grassroots organizations aiming to support the condemnation of crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza.

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The initiative is a direct response to the impunity of Zionism and the complicit silence of Western powers. It followed the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of The Hague (GTH), held in Bogota on July 15 and 16.

At this meeting, representatives from more than 19 countries outlined a legal and diplomatic roadmap in defense of Palestine, advancing initiatives in institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“FoTHG recognizes the role the United States and its EU/NATO partners have played in facilitating and supporting Israel’s genocide against Palestine and its related attacks on Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iran that have created an atmosphere of global repression against opponents of genocide and adherents to people(s)-centered human rights,” the online outlet Popular Resistance reported.

“As such, FoTHG holds that supporting international efforts to uphold human dignity and end Israel’s unchecked reign of terror, no matter the potential repercussions, are of the utmost importance to humanity, peace, and justice,” it added.

During the international launch of the Friends of The Hague Group, a spokesperson for ALBA Movements emphasized: “It is not enough to condemn genocide. It is urgent to organize an active and grassroots defense of international law, from below and with the people.”

Her call for collective global action coincided with a renewed surge of Zionist violence against residents of Gaza. On Thursday, the Israeli occupation army bombed Gaza for the fifth consecutive day, killing more than 90 Gazans and raising the death toll to 540 since July 12.

Among those killed by the Zionist army were four people in an attack on the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, which is currently sheltering hundreds of displaced civilians. Pope Leo XIV condemned the strike and once again called for an immediate ceasefire.

According to Popular Resistance, FoTHG was convened by the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation (PAL) Commission on War Crimes, Justice, Reparations, and Return, Al Haq, and the Palestinian Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD).

Major international organizations that have joined the coalition include ALBA Movements, Black Alliance for Peace, Centre Europe – Tiers Monde (CETIM), FIAN International, Friends of the Earth International, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine (ICSGP), Global Solidarity for Peace in Palestine, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, La Via Campesina, the World March of Women (MMM), the Transnational Institute, World Beyond War, the World Forum of Fisherpeople, and the World Social Forum Assembly of Struggles and Resistance.

FoTHG’s stated objectives include supporting, defending, and expanding the mission and resilience of The Hague Group; encouraging more countries and organizations to support Palestine by joining the group; supporting research to guide its activities and promote implementation of state-level commitments; and assisting member states in monitoring compliance with the measures to which they have explicitly agreed.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Popular Resistence – FoTHG

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