This decision marks a significant economic move, as Colombia is Israel's primary coal supplier, exporting approximately $450 million worth of coal in 2023, according to the Israeli embassy in Bogota.

Petro, Colombia's first leftist president and a vocal critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declared on X that coal exports to Israel would be halted "until the genocide stops." A government decree specified that these restrictions would remain in place "until the orders of provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ)... are fully complied with."

This action follows a late May ruling by the ICJ in a case brought by South Africa. The court ordered Israel to cease its offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, release hostages, and ensure the "unhindered provision" of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.

According to the Colombian government, the coal export ban will take effect five days after the decree's publication in the official gazette. The ban will not impact goods already authorized for shipment. Bogota emphasized coal's strategic importance for the manufacture of weapons, troop mobilization, and provision of military operations.

In addition to the coal export suspension, Petro announced that Colombia would cease purchasing weapons from Israel, a major supplier to the South American country's security forces. This decision has raised concerns within Colombia’s mining sector. On Thursday, the Colombian Mining Association expressed apprehension about the potential suspension of exports, citing a trade treaty between the two nations established in 2020. "Israel is a key destination for Colombia's thermal coal exports," the organization stated, warning that the ban "jeopardizes confidence in markets and foreign investment." (ILKHA)