South Africa’s role in co-chairing a recent Hague Group meeting that put Pretoria at the centre of a new diplomatic spat with Israel, which on Thursday publicly rebuked the move and called the gathering ‘a distorted anti-Israel meeting’, reports Cape {town} Etc.
According to ICIR News the meeting, convened to coordinate legal and political measures over the Gaza war, drew participants from roughly 40 states and issued a statement aiming to prevent impunity for alleged war crimes.
‘There must be no safe haven for perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression,’ the group said (SA Jewish Report).
Israel’s foreign ministry accused South Africa of aligning with hostile actors and said Pretoria’s involvement risked harming bilateral ties and international stability.
‘This meeting promotes a one-sided narrative that undermines the prospects for peace,’ an Israeli statement read.
South African officials defended the Hague Group as a legal and moral response to alleged violations and said the gathering sought accountability and humanitarian relief. The exchange adds to a longer dispute after Pretoria filed legal actions at international courts over the Gaza conflict.
Local readers should note this dispute comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions and ongoing legal processes in The Hague.
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