NEW YORK: Malaysia, one of the founding members of The Hague Group, has urged closer engagement with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to push for an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic) said this is crucial to push the council to invoke its mandate under Chapter Seven of the United Nations (UN) Charter.
He added that this is among several avenues to strengthen the group’s efforts to isolate and pressure Israel to stop its genocidal war in Gaza.
"The Hague Group must gather all peace-loving countries and call on them to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, including the suspension of all existing agreements to supply military items and dual-use items, such as technology and civilian heavy machinery.
"In doing so, we can withhold the tools of genocide from a state that is hell-bent on perpetrating it,” he said when delivering his special remarks during The Hague Group High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Palestine held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), here on Friday.
Mohamad also stressed the importance of pursuing closer cooperation with other groups that are dedicated to advancing the rights of the Palestinian people, such as the UN Committee of the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Noting that many UN member states have now recognised Palestine as a state, he urged the group to seize the growing global momentum to galvanise efforts and amplify calls to end the injustices long endured by the Palestinians.
"Conditions have grown truly desperate for the people living in Gaza due to inhumane obstructions by the Israeli forces.
"If they are not killed by bullets or bombs, they are murdered through starvation. Acute malnutrition is becoming rife among children. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the expansion of illegal settlements continues unabated, including through the announcement of their plan for complete annexation,” he added.
He also reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to participate and support the joint efforts of The Hague Group in advancing the Palestinian cause.
On a related note, Mohamad expressed Malaysia’s concern over a recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Palestine, highlighting the role of certain multinational corporations in facilitating Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land.
"We urge the international community to pay attention to this disclosure,” he said.
The Hague Group is a coalition of countries established to pursue coordinated legal, economic, and diplomatic measures against Israel’s violations of international law, particularly concerning its actions in Palestine and against the Palestinian people.
It was formed in the Netherlands early this year by Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa.
Israel has been carrying out a genocidal war on Gaza since Oct 7, 2023, killing more than 65,000 people, most of them women and children, and causing widespread destruction to the enclave.
The regime’s imposed blockade has led to humanitarian catastrophe and famine. - Bernama
