PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE –Issue.240

Your weekly survey of the most important publications and activities related to Palestine and law, from local and international sources

4 – 10 August 2024

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

Prepared by: Razwan Issa, Nour Kharouf , Joman Al Khateeb, Arwa Abdel Moniam

Translation: Sundus Alfararja and Um Kulthoom Sharif

Editing: Umamah Begg

This weekly report reviews the legal dynamics of the Palestine question, and everything related to international law and Palestine. The report includes an account of the most important publications, activities and conferences related to Palestine at the local, regional, international levels. The report further covers decisions, decrees, and judicial orders affecting the Palestinian cause, whether made at the official, academic or public levels. The report aims to be a reference for monitoring, documenting and archiving the latest human rights developments related to Palestine, and to present them to individuals, researchers, study centers, and official, academic and legal institutions concerned.

To view this Issue of Palestine’s Legal Scene, please click here (5 minutes read)

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Palestinian bodies

• Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammed Mustafa, in a phone call with Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, stated that ending the occupation and achieving an independent Palestinian state is the shortest and most effective path to peace in the region. He added that the genocide against the Palestinian people must be stopped, and efforts to provide relief and meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the people in Gaza must be strengthened. (August 5, 2024)
• The State of Palestine submitted its legal argument to the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the situation in Palestine, demanding the issuance of arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defense for crimes that pose a threat to international peace and security. Palestine asserted that attempts to politicize the court would prevent justice for the Palestinian people and called on the court to exercise its legal mandate to ensure accountability for the perpetrators. (August 6, 2024)
• The Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science condemned the Israeli occupation authorities’ decisions to confiscate land from an archaeological site in Sebastia. It affirmed that these actions constitute a violation of international law and cultural heritage protection conventions, and aim to erase Palestinian cultural identity. (August 7, 2024)
• The Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees confirmed that over 9,000 prisoners are held in Israeli occupation prisons, facing unprecedented retaliatory and punitive measures that threaten their well-being. The Commission renewed its call for all human rights and international institutions to play their crucial and necessary roles in light of the escalating crimes against detainees, and not to limit themselves to merely documenting and presenting these abuses. (August 7, 2024)
• Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli decision to revoke the diplomatic status of Norwegian envoys in the occupied State of Palestine, including Jerusalem. It regarded this as a serious precedent and a threat to all countries, aiming to influence their fair positions on the violations of the occupation. (August 8, 2024)
• Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the extremist remarks of Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich justifying the killing and starving of two million people in Gaza is a blatant admission of adopting a policy of genocide. The Ministry called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Smotrich and urged countries to condemn his stance, boycott him, and prevent him from entering their territories. (August 8, 2024)
• The Palestinian National Council condemned the Israeli occupation’s killing of journalists Tamim Maamar and Abdullah al-Sousi along with their family members in Khan Younis, deeming it as a “new crime” aimed at silencing voices of truth and eliminating witnesses to the occupation’s crimes. The council noted that the assault on media and journalists, with over 165 journalists killed, reflects the brutality of the far-right government and its disregard for international law. It called on world nations and the United Nations to act to compel the occupation to stop its deliberate targeting of journalists and to hold its leaders accountable for their ongoing crimes. The council also condemned the brutal massacre committed by the occupation at the al-Taba’in school in Gaza, which was housing more than 6,000 displaced people, pointing out that U.S. support for the Israeli government, including billions of dollars in arms deals, makes it complicit in the genocide. (August 10, 2024)

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Israeli bodies

• Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated in his speech during the annual Qatif conference that blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is “justified and moral”, even if it causes two million civilians to die of hunger, but the international community won’t allow that to happen. “We bring in aid because there is no choice,” Smotrich added. He argued that withholding aid would more effectively pressure Hamas to release all hostages than current negotiations. He also expressed his opposition to the release of “terrorists” from Israeli prisons. (August 5, 2024)
• Following the circulation of a leaked video showing Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee in the Sde Teyman detention facility in Israel’s Negev Desert, Israeli right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for “an immediate criminal investigation to locate the leakers of the trending video, which was intended to harm the reservists and caused tremendous damage to Israel’s global reputation. The full severity of the law should be exhausted against them.”  (August 7, 2024)
• Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Israel Katz, said that he “ordered the revocation of diplomatic status for eight Norwegian diplomats in Israel who were dealing with Palestinian Authority affairs.” He criticized Norway for its pro-Palestinian stance after October 7, which included recognizing a Palestinian state and joining the case against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Katz said that “Norway had pursued a one-sided policy towards the Palestinian issue and will therefore be excluded from any involvement in it,” emphasizing that “those who attack us and pursue a one-sided policy against us will pay a price.” (August 7, 2024)
• Israel announced the termination of Palestinian Authority tax revenue to Norway in response to Norway’s recognition of an independent Palestinian state. Israel is now seeking a new custodian country, with talks underway with Switzerland. (August 8, 2024)
• Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich approved the partial transfer of Palestinian tax revenues for July, marking the second consecutive month the Palestinian Authority has received some of its tax revenues after Smotrich had withheld them for several months. Smotrich also deducted about NIS 100 million ($26 million) from the funds, citing “the Palestinian Authority’s incitement to terror”, and stated that the money would instead be given to “the families of terror victims.” (August 8, 2024)

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by Arab, European, and international bodies

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Israel’s closure of the Rafah crossing, targeting of aid convoys, and killing of relief workers constitute crimes against humanity and form the basis of the “genocide” Israel is committing in Gaza. He added, “Our presence here (in front of the Rafah border crossing) is to draw global public attention to the genocide in Gaza,” emphasizing the need for the world to break its silence on what is happening and exert more effort to ensure aid reaches Gaza without hindrance or interruption. (August 4,2024)
• The European Union is gravely concerned over the continuing destruction of key civilian infrastructure, including a water treatment plant in Rafah. It said the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza was creating life-threatening conditions for the civilian population, which continued to face famine and repeated displacement (August 5, 2024)
• Malaysia condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ bombing of two schools for displaced people in Gaza City, which resulted in the deaths of 30 citizens, most of whom were children and women. Malaysia said that Israel is clearly displaying its arrogance by ignoring international calls for a ceasefire. Malaysia also stated that it would work towards Palestine’s acceptance as a full member of the United Nations.(August 5, 2024)
• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that shelling and hostilities continued to kill, injure and displace Palestinians, as well as damaging and destroying the infrastructure on which they depend. The Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations called on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including allowing civilians to leave for safer areas and allowing them to return as soon as circumstances permit. (August 5,2024)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini announced the end of the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) mandate over allegations of the involvement of 19 UNRWA staff in Gaza in the October 7 attacks on southern Israel. Employees have had their contracts terminated completely in order to achieve administrative management, and in other cases the evidence was not sufficient to reinstate employees. He also confirmed the UNRWA proceeds to maintain neutrality and continues to provide its basic services to Palestinian refugees. He reiterated the UNRWA’s condemnation of the attack on 7 October in the strongest terms possible, calling once again for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. (August 5, 2024)
• Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), has called for the immediate deployment of a Protective Presence in Palestine. Albanese noted that over the past 10 months, there have been more than 1,000 violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, often supported or ignored by Israeli Occupation forces. “In the oPt, impunity is second only to violence,” Albanese wrote. She emphasized that Palestinians have a right to protection and urged the UN to act as part of its strategy to end the Israeli unlawful occupation. (August 5, 2024)
• UN experts said that Israel’s escalating use of torture against Palestinians in custody is a preventable crime against humanity. They regarded reports of alleged torture and sexual violence in Sde Teiman prison as just the tip of the iceberg, noting that detainees suffer from widespread and systematic abuse, including arbitrary detentions and severe torture. The experts emphasized that these practices are part of Israel’s illegal system of torture and imprisonment, aimed at punishing Palestinians for resisting the occupation. They called for the presence of independent international observers to oversee detention conditions and address violations, urging international pressure on Israel to implement an appropriate system for accessing, monitoring, and protecting detainees. Additionally, they called on the Human Rights Council to deploy special rapporteurs and a commission of inquiry to facilities detaining Palestinians, expressing regret over the lack of response to previous calls for investigating these crimes against humanity. (August 5, 2024)
• Norway submitted an amicus curiae to the International Criminal Court (ICC) supporting the court’s jurisdiction in Palestine. Norway affirmed its recognition of both Israel and Palestine. It argued that the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed on Palestinian territories under the Rome Statute, asserting that the Oslo Accords are irrelevant to determining the court’s jurisdiction. Norway also emphasized that Palestine did not relinquish any aspects of its sovereignty under the Oslo Accords and that the court should exercise its jurisdiction under the Rome Statute. The limitations in the Oslo Accords, Norway argued, pertain only to Palestinian executive authority, not to the legal jurisdiction conferred upon the court. (August 5, 2024)
• Germany submitted an amicus curiae to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the situation in Palestine, emphasizing the need to consider the principle of complementarity under Article 17 of the Rome Statute and the role of national accountability mechanisms. In the submission, Germany argued that if a state, such as Israel, is facing an ongoing armed attack, the court must assess whether that state is genuinely investigating and prosecuting the alleged crimes. Germany called for Israel to be given a genuine opportunity for domestic investigation before the Prosecutor requests arrest warrants. (August 6, 2024)
• The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that mass displacement in Gaza is having a severe impact on public health, as overcrowding, inadequate shelter, and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions increase the risk of infectious diseases. The WHO also reported that overcrowding increases the risk of mass casualties in attacks on populated areas. Meanwhile, the UN agency warned that the number of patients needing medical evacuation out of Gaza is expected to rise due to ongoing fighting and the shrinking capacity of the health system. (August 6,2024)
• The European Union and Spain provided5 million euros for the payment of social allocations through the National Cash Transfer programme; to support 27,561 vulnerable families in the West Bank. This funding aims to provide vital financial assistance in the context of the Palestinian Authority’s financial crisis. (August 6,2024)
• UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan strongly condemned the “deliberate targeting” of Al Jazeera journalists Ismail Al-Ghoul and Rami Al-Rifi in Gaza last week, saying the incident adds to the “already appalling toll of reporters and media workers killed in this war.” She noted that the Israeli military confirmed Al-Ghoul’s death, accusing him of being a Hamas member. Khan condemned the Israeli army for making such accusations without substantial evidence as a license to kill journalists, which is in direct violation of international humanitarian law. (August 6,2024)
• Turkish Foreign Minister Öncü Keçeli announced that Turkey has submitted a request to join the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. He emphasized that the request is based on Article 63 of the Court’s Statute. Keçeli underscored that no state is above international law and highlighted the importance of the case to ensure that Israel does not escape accountability for its crimes. He also stated that the Court’s provisional measures, which call for Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza and open the Rafah crossing for humanitarian aid, must be implemented immediately. (August 7, 2024)
• Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi affirmed that Israel bears full responsibility for the dangerous escalation that is pushing the region toward the brink of a regional war, which will inevitably fuel further tension and conflict. Safadi stressed that the escalation can only be stopped by addressing its cause, namely the brutal and barbaric Israeli aggression on Gaza, which has been ongoing for ten months without any effective international action to curb Israeli actions, stop the killing of innocent people, punish war criminals, and protect what remains of the credibility of international law, which has proven to be selectively applied. (August 7, 2024)
• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the ongoing hostilities and repeated evacuation orders are causing an endless cycle of displacement, making it increasingly difficult for people to access the humanitarian aid they need to survive, after 10 months of war. The UN office explained that when malnourished children in Gaza are forced to flee suddenly, it becomes extremely challenging for humanitarian partners to monitor and continue providing them with essential services. (August 7, 2024)
• The World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy, stated that the civilian population, which is already suffering from violence and suffering from hunger and disease in the region, should not be exposed to further threats, stressing the need to undertake humanitarian work free from politicization and attacks. The UN official added that the World Health Organisation supported the medical evacuation of about 100 patients from Gaza suffering from serious medical conditions. She reiterated the call to open all possible paths to patients and a permanent ceasefire. (August 7, 2024)
• The final statement of the extraordinary open-ended meeting of the Executive Committee at the level of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the ongoing crimes committed by Israel, the illegal occupying power, against the Palestinian people. The statement called for an immediate halt to the aggression and genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. It also condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and their leadership, and demanded the protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The statement emphasized the need to end settlement activities and hold settlers accountable. Furthermore, it called on the UN Security Council to intervene to provide humanitarian protection and deliver aid to Gaza. It also urged member states to support legal and political efforts to hold Israel accountable for its violations and to strengthen recognition of the State of Palestine. (August 7, 2024)
• Sri Lanka has made a donation of 590,000 USD to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), emphasizing that “UNRWA provides a lifeline for Palestinians.” (August 7, 2024)
• The European Union (EU) condemned the declarations of Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich at the Katif Annual Conference, where he said that “it might be justified and moral” to let two million civilians in Gaza to die of hunger until the “hostages are returned.” The EU emphasized that deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime. The EU called on the Israeli government to distance itself from Smotrich’s words, urging it to comply with UN Security Council resolutions and International Court of Justice binding orders, and to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the statement and expressed concern that such remarks incite hatred and could lead to further atrocities.
• Australia condemned Smotrich’s statements regarding starving Palestinians, affirming that the deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime and unjustifiable. Australia also emphasized the need for an immediate truce in Gaza to protect civilians, liberate hostages, and facilitate the delivery of aid, calling on all parties to reach an immediate ceasefire agreement. For his part, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, David Lammy, said that “International law could not be more clear,” stressing that “the deliberate starvation of civilians is a war crime” and that “there can be no justification for Minister Smotrich’s remarks”. He emphasized that he expects the Israeli government to retract and condemn such remarks. In the same context, German Ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, strongly rejected Smotrich’s unacceptable and appalling remarks, stressing that it is a principle of international law and of humanity to protect civilians in a war and to give them access to water and food. (August 7, 2024)
• During the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan emphasized four key points in his statement. First, he called for the OIC to establish a group of eminent persons to assess and identify measures to implement the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Second, he urged the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid to be reinstated. Third, he suggested taking the lead with like-minded countries to request a resumed session of the 10th Emergency Special Session of the UNGA on Palestine to “give effect” to the ICJ Advisory Opinion. The fourth and final point was about extending support & assistance in rebuilding the Palestinian economy & livelihood, post-conflict. (August 8, 2024)
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, stated that “the Israeli government will not distance itself from Minister Smotrich’s statement because starving the Palestinians in Gaza has been an intended policy of the State of Israel over the past ten months.” She noted that “European states can’t absolve themselves from what they have let happen in Palestine under their watch.” Albanese called for “an arms embargo, sanctions, and suspension of economic, political, and diplomatic ties with Israel until it ends its unlawful occupation of Palestinian lands.” (August 8, 2024)
• The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, condemned Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Palestinian Authority. He deemed the decision “unwarranted” and in contradiction of the Oslo Accords, disrupting relations with the Palestinian Authority. He stressed that “the EU stands in full solidarity with Norway.” (August 8, 2024)
• Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, stated that the Netanyahu government’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of Norwegian diplomats in Palestine is an “extreme action” that undermines efforts to help the Palestinian population and is actively working against a two-state solution. He explained that this decision will have consequences on Norway’s relationship with the Netanyahu government and that Norway is considering what measures to take “to respond to the situation that the Netanyahu government has now created.” (August 8, 2024)
• Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of Norwegian diplomats in the occupied Palestinian territories, considering this move provocative towards those who recognize the State of Palestine. It viewed these Israeli actions as contradictions to international law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. (August 9, 2024)
• The Arab Parliament condemned the statements made by Israel’s extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in which he stated that starving two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could be just and moral to return Israeli prisoners from the Strip. The Parliament considered these remarks as direct incitement to violence against the Palestinian people and a violation of humanitarian principles and international law. It called on the international community to hold extremists accountable for their actions. (August 9, 2024)
• The Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the European Union High Representative, Josep Borrell, and the Arab Parliament, all condemned the massacre committed by Israeli occupation forces at a school in the al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza, which resulted in the killing of over 100 Palestinians and injuries to hundreds more. Belgium also condemned the attack, emphasizing that “targeting civilian infrastructure violates international law.” The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Israel’s actions as a “new crime against humanity.” Additionally, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, France, and Kuwait condemned the attack and stressed the need for the international community and Security Council intervention to stop these horrific crimes against an unarmed population. (August 2024)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• B’Tselem published a report entitled “Welcome to Hell: The Israel Prison System as a Network of Torture Camps.” The report highlights the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and the inhuman conditions they have been subjected to in Israeli prisons since October 7, 2023. B’Tselem’s research for the report included testimonies from 55 Palestinians who were incarcerated in Israeli prisons and detention facilities during this time. The analysis of these testimonies indicates a systemic, institutional policy focused on the continual abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The report documents frequent acts of severe, arbitrary violence; sexual assault; humiliation and degradation; deliberate starvation; forced unhygienic conditions; sleep deprivation; prohibition and punitive measures against religious worship; confiscation of all communal and personal belongings; and denial of adequate medical treatment. (August 2024)
• Physicians for Human Rights-Israel reported that Israel launched an airstrike on displaced Palestinians in the Al-Aqsa Hospital complex, sparking fires that killed four people and injured 18 others, including seven journalists, without prior warning. The organization emphasized that this was not the first attack on displaced people and hospitals, and called for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and medical facilities, stressing that protecting these sites is an obligation under international humanitarian law. The organization also urged the international community to demand accountability and to stop harming civilians. (August 4, 2024)
• The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reported that after 10 months of systematic and widespread destruction of the health sector and imposing an arbitrary blockade, Israel continues to deliberately prevent the entry of medical supplies, including medical devices and essential medicines, into the Gaza Strip, resulting in a high death toll. It also emphasized that the blockade, along with the closure of the Rafah land crossing with Egypt—the only travel route for Gaza residents since the start of Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians—must stop immediately. (August 5, 2024)
• The European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine published an article on the implications of the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice for the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The organization stated that this advisory opinion should prompt the EU to review its trade agreements with Israel. (August 5, 2024)
• The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for international action after UN experts warned of “escalating use of torture” by Israel against Palestinian prisoners. CAIR called on the Biden administration to condemn a top Israeli official, Bezalel Smotrich, who claims that it “might be justified and moral” to starve two million Gazan to death. CAIR condemned what it called the “seemingly endless” massacres of Palestinian children in Gaza by forces of the far-right Israeli government. CAIR said the continuing silence of the Biden administration on multiple reports of Israeli torture, rape and abuse of Palestinian detainees is “enabling the abuse to continue.” (August 4/5, 2024)
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned, in its report, “Occupied lives: the risk of forcible transfer of Palestinians in Hebron,” that physical injuries, mental trauma and restricted access to medical care are an everyday reality for many Palestinians living in and around the West Bank city of Hebron. “The movement restrictions and the harassment and violence by Israeli forces and settlers is inflicting immense and unnecessary suffering on Palestinians in Hebron,” said Frederieke van Dongen, MSF humanitarian affairs manager. “This is having a disastrous impact on people’s mental and physical health.” (August 6, 2024)
• The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reported that Jerusalem municipality workers, accompanied by Israeli forces, demolished a Palestinian home in the Al-Bustan community of Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The demolition has displaced seven Palestinians, including two children, in breach of international law prohibitions on forcible transfer and the wanton destruction of property. (August 6, 2024)

Opinion Pieces and features

• The Arab American Institute published an article entitled “Questions That Must Be Asked“, in which the President of the Institute, James Zogby, answers questions about why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu undermined peace efforts and escalated conflict by targeting prominent figures in Hamas and Hezbollah. Zugby points out that Netanyahu’s main motivation is to stay in power and to continue the war to achieve “total victory”, including the suppression of Palestinian independence and the expansion of Israeli control. Zugby criticizes the United States for failing to  address  these issues, and calls for a serious reassessment of American policy and its role in the region. (August 5,2024)
• The Nation published an article by Reed Brody titled “International Law Strikes Back; The World Court’s ruling that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal rewards growing judicial activism by states of the Global South.” (August 5, 2024)
• Just Security published an article by Alyssa Yamamoto titled “Israel’s ‘War on Terror’ and the Legal and Security Imperative to Comply with International Law.” (August 5, 2024)
• Dawn published an article by Michael Lynk, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (2016 – 2022), entitled: “The ICJ, Israel’s Occupation and the Realization of Palestinian Rights.” (August 6, 2024)
• The New Arab published an analysis by Alessandra Bajec entitled: “Will the UK stop selling arms to Israel?”. (August 7, 2024)

Human rights conferences and events

• Americans for Peace Now held a webinar titled “Israel’s Annexation Revolution: with Shalom Achshav’s Lior Amihai.” The discussion examined the Israeli government’s massive annexation effort since October 7, 2023, including displacing Palestinians, expanding existing settlements, and doubling the resources available to settlements, while “legalizing” more than 70 illegal outposts along the way. (August 7, 2024)

Upcoming human rights opportunities and events

• The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Palestine has announced its need for an expert opinion on “The International Law Framework Regarding Israel’s Environmental Violations and Responsibilities as an Occupying Power.” The deadline is Monday, 12 August 2024, at 17:00 Jerusalem Time. (August 5,2024)