Bogota: The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has welcomed a landmark international agreement reached in Colombia to impose sanctions on Israel over its ongoing genocide in besieged Gaza. The deal was signed during an emergency summit in Bogota, where representatives from more than 20 countries gathered to coordinate a legal and diplomatic response to what they described as Israel's escalating violations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
According to TRTworld.com, the agreement obliges participating countries to implement a range of coordinated measures, most notably a total ban on exporting or transferring weapons, ammunition, military fuel, and dual-use materials to Israel. It also includes restrictions on vessels suspected of transporting military equipment to Israel, such as denying them entry to national ports or access to logistical services.
In its statement, Hamas said that the agreement lays out concrete steps, including halting arms transfers to Israel, reviewing bilateral treaties, and facilitating international investigations into war crimes. Hamas praised it as a bold stance against the siege and atrocities endured by Palestinians in Gaza. The summit brought together delegations from Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, Algeria, Lebanon, Oman, Uruguay, Bangladesh, Chile, Djibouti, Indonesia, Nicaragua, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, along with Palestinian representatives.
Israel's actions in Gaza have led to nearly 59,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, according to Palestines official WAFA news agency. Experts estimate that the actual death toll could be around 200,000. Over the course of the conflict, Israel has reduced most of the blockaded enclave to ruins and practically displaced all of its population. It has also blocked the entry of humanitarian aid, only allowing a controversial US-backed aid group that bypasses the UN aid work.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.