The leaders of South Africa, Malaysia, and Colombia have reaffirmed their commitment to preventing ships carrying weapons destined for Israel from using their ports, in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. In a joint statement published this week in *Foreign Policy* magazine, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared, “We will prevent ships carrying military equipment and materials bound for Israel from using our ports, and we will halt all arms transfers that involve further violations of humanitarian law.”  

They emphasized that Israel’s war on Gaza has exposed the failure of the international system, calling for an end to impunity for Israel’s violations of international law. “The choice is stark: either we act together to enforce international law, or we risk its collapse,” the statement read. The leaders accused Israel of “systematically” violating international law in Gaza, with the support of global powers providing diplomatic, military, and political backing. This “complicity,” they argued, has dealt a “devastating blow” to the integrity of the UN Charter and its core principles of human rights, sovereign equality, and the prohibition of genocide.  

“A system that allows the massacre of approximately 61,000 people is not just failing—it has already failed,” they added. Malaysia and Colombia are among the countries that have supported South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a historic move in December 2023, South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, stating that Tel Aviv intended “to destroy the Palestinians of Gaza” and urging the court to order an end to Israel’s genocidal war. While a final ruling is still pending, the ICJ ruled last year that “there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza and ongoing serious harm to civilians since 2023.”  

The article also described former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for Gaza as “ethnic cleansing” and a “flagrant violation of international law.” Early in his presidency, Trump suggested relocating Gaza’s population temporarily or permanently outside the strip, including to Egypt and Jordan. On February 4, Trump proposed that the U.S. take control of Gaza and transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” after expelling Palestinians and resettling them elsewhere.  

Trump’s remarks sparked widespread condemnation, including from Palestine, the UN, and the Arab world, as they pose a potential death blow to the so-called two-state solution. His provocative proposal comes as Israel has failed to achieve its war objectives in Gaza after more than 15 months, during which it has killed at least 48,365 Palestinians, mostly women and children.