Hamas Praises New Anti-Israel Lawfare Coalition of Nations

Latest Developments

• Hamas Commends Coalition: The Iran-backed Hamas terrorist organization on February 3 praised a newly established 10-member bloc of anti-Israel nations calling itself “The Hague Group.” Hamas released a statement saying the coalition represents “an important and key step at the international level to end this racist and fascist occupation.” South Africa, Cuba, Malaysia, Namibia, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Senegal, Honduras, and Belize announced during a January 31 press conference that they had formed the organization to “defend Palestinian rights” and encouraged other nations to join.
• Organization Aims to Uphold Arrest Warrants on Israeli Officials: The left-wing, anti-capitalist organization Progressive International spearheaded the formation of The Hague Group, with the mission of coordinating legal, diplomatic, and economic measures against what they claim to be Israel’s violations of international law. According to a statement from the coalition, the members intend to act on the International Criminal Court’s order to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, prevent arms from being sent to Israel, and prevent the docking of vessels in “all cases where there is a clear risk” that they are carrying weapons to Israel.
• Some Members Part of ICJ Case Against Israel: Six of The Hague Group’s member nations have either joined or announced their intention to join South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing genocide in its war against Hamas. Others, like Nicaragua, Malaysia, and Honduras, have either cut diplomatic ties with Israel or have been highly critical of the Jewish state for its response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, atrocities.

FDD Expert Response

“The Hague Group is the innocent-sounding name of a group of anti-Western states that have joined forces with a far-left NGO to promote a blood libel against the State of Israel. Its backers include notorious supporters of Hamas like the U.S. group CODEPINK and the antisemitic British parliamentarians Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Any country that engages with its members should know that doing so merely amplifies Hamas propaganda.” — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Manager

“South Africa continues to wage its lawfare campaign against Israel and to serve as Hamas’s lawyer on an international stage. Transforming international bodies into weapons of war against the Jewish state will forever tarnish these bodies’ reputations. And South Africa’s leading role in this fight further demonstrates how its political leadership is taking Pretoria on a dangerous anti-American, anti-Israeli course.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“‘No Jurisdiction Over the United States or Israel’: Trump Signs Executive Order Sanctioning International Criminal Court,” FDD Flash Brief

“South Africa Is Not Pro-Palestinian, It’s Pro-Hamas,” by David May