SA, Malaysia, Colombia Condemn Israel's Actions in Gaza, Reject Trump's Plan as 'Ethnic Cleansing'

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Colombian President Gustavo Petro Urrego, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in an article published in Foreign Policy magazine, criticized Israel's international law violations in the Gaza Strip, and rejected US President Trump's annexation plan as "ethnic cleansing."

The leaders, along with Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, who chairs The Hague Group, which aims to coordinate action to seek accountability for Israel's crimes, accused powerful nations of enabling the conflict between Israel and Palestine through military and diplomatic support.

"For more than 500 days, Israel, enabled by powerful nations providing diplomatic cover, military hardware, and political support, has systematically violated international law in Gaza. […] A system that permits the killing of an estimated 61,000 people is not merely failing – it has failed," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in the article.

As for Donald Trump's recent proposal to "take over" the Gaza Strip and relocate its residents, the leaders warned that it would constitute illegal "ethnic cleansing."

"The recent proposal by US President Donald Trump to 'take over' Gaza—meaning annexation followed by ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population, who Trump has suggested should be deported to Egypt and Jordan—strikes at the very foundations of international law, which the global community has a duty to defend," the article read.

As members of The Hague Group, along with Bolivia, Honduras, and Namibia, the three countries committed to enforcing the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrants against Israeli leaders, banning military supply ships for Israel from their ports, and halting arms transfers that enable humanitarian violations.

"Our governments will comply with the warrants issued by the ICC against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, emphasizing appropriate, fair, and independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level; we will prevent vessels carrying military supplies to Israel from using our ports; and we will prevent all arms transfers that risk enabling further violations of humanitarian law." the leaders pointed out.

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21 February, 10:33