The presidents of South Africa and Colombia, along with the prime minister of Malaysia, stated in a joint article that “the proposal by US President Donald Trump to annex the Gaza Strip amounts to ethnic cleansing,” according to Quds Press.
Writing in Foreign Policy magazine on Tuesday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa questioned “What remains of the international system?” Arguing that for over 500 days, Israel—backed by powerful nations providing diplomatic cover, military supplies, and political support—has systematically violated international law in Gaza.
This “complicity,” they argue, has dealt a devastating blow to the integrity of the UN Charter and its fundamental principles on human rights, sovereign equality, and the prohibition of genocide.
They affirmed that their governments would uphold the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
They also announced their decision to “prevent Israeli military supply ships from using their countries’ ports.”
Since January 25, Trump has been advocating a plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries like Egypt and Jordan in order to create the “Riviera of the Middle East” in the enclave. Both nations have rejected the proposal, and they were later joined in opposition by other Arab states and international organisations.
During a conference with Netanyahu, Trump revealed his intention for the US to take control of Gaza. He later stated that he was “not in a hurry” to implement the plan, before reiterating that Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza under his proposal.
