PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue. 303

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

19 – 25 October. 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

Prepared by: Nour Kharouf, Murad Abu Murad, and Arwa Abdel Moniam

Translation: : Mohammad Janineh and Asma Louzon

Editing: Widad Hussein

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:

• The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) monitored during the past week, Israeli media and social platforms witnessed a wave of incitement and racism, marked by a systematic effort to strip Palestinians of their identity as a people and redefining them as a constant security threat. The Gaza Strip was also portrayed as a justification for policies of control and repression. (October 20, 2025)
• The head of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Muayyad Shaaban, reported that since the beginning of the olive harvest season in early October, the occupation army and settlers have carried out 158 ​​attacks against olive pickers, including 17 attacks by the occupation army and 141 by settlers. These attacks included violent physical assaults, arrests, movement restrictions, denial of access, intimidation and harassment in all its forms, and direct gunfire, mainly concentrated in the governorates of Nablus, Ramallah, and Hebron. Sahaaban emphasized that the season is among the most difficult and dangerous in decades. (October 21, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks by terrorist settlers on Palestinian citizens and foreign activists during the national olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank, stressing that the movements of these armed militias operate under the protection and coordination of the Israeli occupation army. The Ministry also condemned the arrest of32 foreign activists who joined local residents to support them and document the settlers’ crimes. The National Council further called on the international community and the United Nations to take urgent action to stop the organized terrorism of the settlers. (October 21, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that Israel will have no sovereignty over Palestinian land and rejected the Knesset’s attempts to annex Palestinian territory. It emphasized that the occupied Palestinian land constitutes a single geographical unit and sovereignty over it belongs solely to the Palestinian people and their leadership. The ministry also stated that the implementation of the New York Declaration and its annexes provide a foundation to confronting Israeli annexation and settlement policies. (October 22, 2025)
• Palestine welcomed what it described as a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice, which confirmed that Israel had blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza and violated its obligations as an occupying power. It called on the international community to compel Israel to implement the ruling and lift the unlawful ban on UNRWA. (October 22, 2025)
• The Jerusalem Governorate warned of the risk of parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque collapsing due to Israel’s continued excavation of tunnels around it and in the Old City of Jerusalem. It stressed that these excavations are unscientific and aimed at destroying Palestinian landmarks and altering the city’s identity as part of a political project to Judaize it. Governorate advisor Ma’ruf Al-Rifai said that the tunnels, funded by the Israeli government, violate the status quo and threaten the stability of the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque and surrounding historic homes. (October 22, 2025)

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

• Following Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s confirmation that he will uphold his predecessor Justin Trudeau’s pledge to honor the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister should he visit Canada, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said that Carney should reconsider and instead welcome Netanyahu, describing hima as the leader of the only Jewish and democratic state in the Middle East. (October 21, 2025)
• The Israeli Knesset approved, in a preliminary reading, two draft laws: the first to apply Israeli sovereignty over settlement areas in “Judea and Samaria” (the West Bank), and the second to extend sovereignty over the Ma’ale Adumim settlement. Both bills will be referred to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for further deliberations. (October 22, 2025)
• The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, describing it as a political attempt to impose measures against Israel under the guise of international law. (October 22, 2025)
• The Israeli High Court gave the government 30 days to clarify its policy regarding the independent entry of journalists into the Gaza Strip amid the ceasefire, following the 2024 petition filed by the Foreign Press Association demanding such access. The justices noted that the circumstances in Gaza have changed since the state’s previous response due to the ceasefire, and that security concerns may now be mitigated with the cessation of hostilities. (October 22, 2025)

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

• The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, condemned the surge of intra-Palestinian violence in Gaza. She called on Hamas and all armed Palestinian groups whether resisting or armed by the occupying army, to immediately stop executing opponents. She also emphasized that every captive must be treated according to the law, held accountable without being brutalised, and that there must be no summary executions. (October 19, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that children in Gaza have been denied education with utter brutality, stressing that resuming education is a top priority. (October 19, 2025)
• French MP Thomas Portes said that Israel has just murdered several Palestinians, including children, in a strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Nuseirat camp. He noted that at the same time, Israel announced the suspension of humanitarian aid flows into Gaza, affirming that the genocide and famine continue. (October 19, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stressed that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza must be upheld, noting that Israeli forces shelled an UNRWA school-turned-shelter in Nuseirat refugee camp, killing four people and injuring others. Lazzarini reiterated his call for independent investigations into these blatant breaches of international humanitarian law, stressing that accountability must follow. (October 20, 2025)
• Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, submitted her report to the United Nations General Assembly, titled: “Genocide in Gaza: A collective crime.” The report reveals that the genocide in Gaza is being carried out with the complicity of third states through their military, diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian support for Israel. Albanese called on states to end their participation or complicity in these violations, uphold the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and justice, and ensure investigation, accountability, and reparations for the victims, while suspending military, trade, and diplomatic relations with Israel. (October 20, 2025)
• Jordan’s King Abdullah II, during his meeting with Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, stressed the importance of upholding the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the implementation of all stages of the agreement to end the war, including the delivery of humanitarian aid to all parts of the Strip. (October 20, 2025)
• The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that the ceasefire in Gaza has faced its first real test, noting that Hamas’s attacks on Palestinian civilians and its refusal to disarm have made the agreement extremely fragile. She explained that the European Union, as the largest donor to Gaza and the main financial supporter of the Palestinian Authority, stands ready to intensify its efforts in supporting the peace and reconstruction plan, affirming that the EU Border Assistance Mission is ready for deployment. (October 20, 2025)
• UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that the organization is optimistic after the parties reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza, calling on all sides to protect civilians and refrain from actions that could lead to renewed hostilities. (October 20, 2025)
• European foreign ministers discussed proposed sanctions against members of the Israeli government and trade-related measures. The European Union’s High Representative, Kaya Kallas, stated, what we agreed on is that we do not support these measures for now, but we will not rule them out either, because the situation is fragile, emphasizing the need to improve the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. (October 20, 2025)
• The Head of the United Nations Office for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ajith Sunghay, described the escalating attacks on Palestinians during the olive harvest season as part of the broader pattern of Israeli assaults aimed at severing community ties, annexing land, displacing Palestinians, and expanding illegal Israeli settlements. He added that direct destruction of land is also increasing, with settlers burning orchards, sawing down olive trees, and demolishing homes and agricultural infrastructure. Sunghay further noted that new Israeli checkpoints and iron gates have separated farmers from their fields, causing crops to spoil. (October 21, 2025)
• Twenty-seven Democratic members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, expressing deep concern over the detention of Palestinian-American teenager Mohammed Zaher Ibrahim, who has been held without trial since his arrest on February 16, 2025. The letter stated that Mohammed, accused of throwing stones at Israeli settlers without any public evidence, is suffering from malnutrition and mistreatment in the Israeli occupation’s prisons. The lawmakers called on the U.S. administration to engage directly with the Israeli government to ensure his immediate release. (October 21, 2025)
• The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, in his address to the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, called for the formation of a parliamentary working group under the Union to help consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza and mobilize international support for the Arab reconstruction plan and the recovery conference scheduled to be held in Cairo. He also urged independent states to provide immediate funding to UNRWA. (October 21, 2025)
• Forty-six members of the U.S. Senate, including Chuck Schumer and Adam Schiff, sent a letter to President Donald Trump expressing their support for his comments opposing any efforts by the Israeli Government to annex territory in the West Bank. They urged him to reinforce his Administration’s stance rejecting annexation and to take steps to preserve the viability of a two-state solution and ensure the success of the Abraham Accords. (October 21, 2025)
• WFP spokesperson Abeer Atifa confirmed that food supplies to the Gaza Strip are increasing following the ceasefire, but they remain far below the required daily target due to only two crossings being open, and no aid reaching the northern areas of the Strip affected by famine. UNRWA also emphasised that the aid reaching Gaza represents only a drop in the ocean of urgent needs, stressing the necessity of opening all crossings and ensuring unrestricted delivery of assistance. (October 21-22, 2025)
• The International Court of Justice issued its advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations concerning the presence and activities of the United Nations, international organisations, and third States in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, confirming that Israel has prevented the delivery of essential humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population, particularly in the Gaza Strip. The Court also affirmed that UNRWA cannot be substituted under the current circumstances, noting that there is no evidence of agency bias. The Court required Israel to facilitate relief operations conducted by the UN and its agencies and to respect the inviolability of UN premises, emphasising that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Territory. (October 22, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, stressing that Israel’s claim that UNRWA is infiltrated by Hamas was not substantiated, nor were allegations that UNRWA is not a neutral organisation, and that UNRWA represents the key humanitarian actor “unique & sustained connection” to the occupied Palestinian territories. (October 22, 2025)
• US and Israeli sources announced that they are considering a plan to divide Gaza into separate zones controlled by Israel and Hamas, with reconstruction only taking place on the Israeli side as a stopgap until the militant group can be disarmed and removed from power. (October 22, 2025)
• UNRWA Director of Affairs in the occupied West Bank, Roland Friedrich, confirmed that destruction and forced displacement persist in the northern West Bank, where Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps have been emptied and residents actively prevented from returning. He added that Israeli laws targeting UNRWA have led to the closure of international schools and the expulsion of international staff. (October 22, 2025)
• The US Department of State expressed its rejection of the ICJ advisory opinion, describing it as a political, non-binding decision that unfairly criticises Israel while granting UNRWA immunity despite its alleged involvement and material support for “Hamas terrorism.” The Department also characterised the ICJ’s continued use of its advisory powers in this manner as a partisan political tool that could be used against Americans. (October 22, 2025)
• The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed its deep concern over the seizure of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme facility in Gaza City on 13 October. The organization emphasized that the mental health needs of Palestinians in Gaza are greater than ever, and stressed that all health facilities must be protected and safeguarded to ensure that people can access the care and support they need. (October 22, 2025)
• The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Djibouti, Republic of The Gambia, the State of Libya, the Federal Republic of Nigeria,the Republic of Indonesia,the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Palestine, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, Malaysia, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, condemn in the strongest terms the Israeli Knesset approval of two draft laws aiming to impose  so-called “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank, and over illegal Israeli colonial settlements calling it a blatant violation of international law. The League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab Parliament, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also condemned the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary approval of these bills. (October 22-23, 2025)
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressed that the range of Israel’s obligations under international law, spelled out by the International Court of Justice ruling, is crystal clear. These include ensuring that the people of Gaza and the broader occupied Palestinian territory have access to essential supplies needed to live, and that Israel, the occupying power, is bound to respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights of Palestinians. Türk emphasized that Israel – and all other States – must comply with the law as clarified by the Court’s ruling, and act swiftly to bring about meaningful improvements to the appalling human rights and humanitarian situation on the ground. (October 23, 2025)
• The UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Ramiz Alakbarov, emphasized that the Gaza ceasefire offers a rare opportunity to end one of the most destructive phases of the wider Israel-Palestine conflict. However, he warned that without decisive support for reconstruction and aid delivery, the region risks sliding back into violence, as the situation remains extremely fragile. Alakbarov also underscored the UN’s 60-day humanitarian plan, launched to streamline customs procedures, expand access routes, and restore basic services. (October 23, 2025)
• China called on the international community to follow the guidance of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, alleviate the humanitarian crisis faced by the Palestinian people, and work unremittingly toward an early, full, just, and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine. (October 23, 2025)
• France took note of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice regarding the Israel obligations to provide humanitarian assistance and cooperate with the United Nations in Palestine. France reaffirmed its full commitment to international law and to the essential role played by the ICJ. France called on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law as recalled by the ICJ, remove any obstacles to the massive, immediate, unhindered delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid, and fully cooperate with the UN, including UNRWA. (October 23, 2025)
• Two weeks after a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies. (October 24, 2025)
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the Advisory Opinion issued by the ICJ, which reaffirmed several fundamental obligations of Israel, as the occupying power, under international law. In his statement, the Secretary-General underscored the Court’s recognition of the indispensable role of the UN, including UNRWA, in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza and supporting the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. (October 24, 2025)
• UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai said that the advisory opinion of the ICJ strongly highlights violations of international law and the impact of restriction of humanitarian assistance. In the same context, UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler said the Court has made it unequivocally clear that the actions of Israeli authorities are wrong and against all obligations that member states are meant to follow. (October 25, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs:

• The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reported clear evidence of brutal torture on Palestinians detained by Israel during its war on Gaza, noting that the bodies returned to Gaza show signs of hanging, burns, and executionundeniable proof of crimes that demand an urgent international investigation. (October 20, 2025)
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) expressed deep disappointment that Dr. Mohammed Obeid, a respected orthopaedic surgeon from Gaza and long-time MSF colleague, remains detained in Israel, following his arrest during a military operation at Kamal Adwan Hospital in October 2024. The organization said that this poses a serious threat to the medical sector at a time when medical needs in Gaza are at their highest, and called for his immediate and unconditional release. MSF confirmed that Dr. Obeid has been held without contact with his family for nearly a full year. (October 20, 2025)
• Humanity & Inclusion UK stated that every person in Gaza is now living in a horrific unmapped minefield, due to extensive contamination from unexploded ordnance following the widespread devastation that has damaged or destroyed more than 90% of homes and caused the collapse of healthcare, water, sanitation and electricity systems. Nick Orr, Explosive Ordnance Disposal expert, explained that the Strip is contaminated with thousands of unexploded bombs in the rubble and beneath the ground, making the return to destroyed homes extremely dangerous, especially for children. (October 21, 2025)
• The Hind Rajab Foundation issued a public statement affirming that its submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the killing of Hind Rajab, her family, and two Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics is based on documented and verified evidence, the result of more than ten months of rigorous legal, forensic, and investigative work. The statement explained that the submission includes geolocated and satellite-verified imagery, command metadata, and self-posted footage placing a specific Israeli armored battalion within the exact operational grid where the crime took place on 29 January 2024. (October 22, 2025)
• Médecins Sans Frontières MSF (Doctors Without Borders) announced that it was forced to leave Gaza City on September 24, 2025, due to the intense Israeli assault on the city in the northern part of the Strip, confirming that it has partially resumed its activities following the start of the ceasefire. The organization noted that more than 402,000 displacement movements from the southern to the northern parts of the Strip were recorded after the ceasefire. Upon returning to the area, MSF found the Sheikh Radwan health care center partially destroyed, leaving the local community without a primary source of medical care. (October 23, 2025)
• The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) issued a statement affirming that the Israeli occupation and its settlers continue to commit violations in the West Bank and Gaza despite the ceasefire, including killings and preventing Palestinians from harvesting olives, considering this a continuation of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The network called on the international community to provide urgent protection for Palestinians through an international force under the “United for Peace” mechanism. (October 23, 2025)
• The Foreign Press Association expressed its disappointment over the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to grant the state an additional extension regarding access for freelance journalists to the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that the Israeli government has once again relied on delaying tactics to prevent journalists from performing their duties and impede the public’s right to know. (October 23, 2025)
• The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has applied for a court summons to prosecute a dual British-Israeli national alleged to have committed the offence of enlisting in the service of a foreign state, contrary to Section 4 of the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870. The ICJP emphasized that Palestine is considered a friendly state to the United Kingdom, as recognized by the UK government, and noted that all offences under the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 are triable on indictment and punishable by a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment. (October 23, 2025)
• The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a detailed criminal complaint with the German Federal Prosecutor General (Generalbundesanwalt) against Shimon Avi Zuckerman, a German-Israeli dual national who served as a combat engineer in the 8219 Engineer Battalion of the Israeli army’s 551st Brigade during its military operations in the Gaza Strip. “The evidence is not just overwhelming — it is self-incriminating… A state of law cannot choose justice selectively,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, General Director of the Hind Rajab Foundation. (October 24, 2025)
• The BADIL Centerissued a statement entitled “The Illusion of a Ceasefire: Gaza Still Under Continuous Genocide,” asserting that the Israeli regime continues to violate the ceasefire agreement while Gaza lies in ruins. The statement noted that starvation, displacement, and death persist, while humanitarian aid and UNRWA remain blocked and the Rafah crossing with Egypt stays closed. The statement condemned the complicity of Western powers in excusing and normalizing the Israeli regime’s crimes and called on governments to end their complicity and to impose political, economic, and military sanctions. (October 2025)

Research and academic studies (in Arabic and English):

• The Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development published a research paper by Igli Domi and Kristina Lata, titled:“Israel-Palestine Conflict: A Retrospective Analysis from Origins to the Present Day and Prospects for the Future”. (2025)
• The Journal of Law, Society and Authority published a research paper by Kada Afia, titled: “Palestine’s United Nations Membership and Overcoming the American Veto”. (2025)
• Kahuta Law College published a research paper by Raja Abdul Ahad Janjua, titled: “International Legal Avenues for Justice in Gaza: Mechanisms, Obligations and State Responsibilities”. (2025)
• Open Edition Journals published a research paper by Tor Krever titled: “Palestine and the Limits of International Law”. (2025)
• The Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies published a research paper by Sonia Boulos titled: “New Legal Avenues for a Decolonising Agenda: the International Court of Justice and the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories”. (2025)

Opinion Pieces and features:

• Mondoweiss published a review by Jo Bluen titled: “Haidar Eid’s Literary Ode to Resisting the Settler Colonial Genocide in Gaza”.(October 19, 2025)
• The New Arab published an opinion piece by Naji al-Khatib titled:“No to a ‘Unified and Transitional’ Government in Gaza…Yes to a Constituent Assembly”. (October 20, 2025)
• Arab News published an opinion piece by Daoud Kuttab titled: “Elections may make or break Palestinian national movement”. (October 20, 2025)
• Arab News published an opinion piece by Osama Al-Sharif titled: “Trump keeps Netanyahu tethered to Gaza deal — for now”. (October 21, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an article by Healthcare Workers for Palestine titled: “A brief history of Israel’s theft and trafficking of Palestinian organs”. (October 22, 2025)
• Middle East Eye published an opinion piece by Samah Jabr titled: “Gaza can be healed, but not by the same hands that destroyed her”. (October 23, 2025)
• Middle East Eye published an opinion piece by Mutahir Ahmed titled: “Gaza Genocide: Why We Seek to Have a British-Israeli Soldier Prosecuted”. (October 24, 2025)

Human rights conferences and events:

• An Arab legal working group was established in Morocco to prosecute Israeli war criminals, initiated by Arab lawyers and human rights activists. The group aims to support victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and to mobilize Arab and international legal efforts to hold those responsible accountable before national and international courts. (October 21, 2025)
• More than 450 prominent Jewish figures from around the world—including former Israeli officials, artists, and intellectuals issued an open letter to the United Nations and world leaders calling for accountability measures against Israel. In their statement, the signatories express grave concern over what they describe as Israel’s “unconscionable acts” in Gaza. The letter urges the international community to uphold its obligations to protect civilian populations and to ensure that Israel is held accountable. (October 22, 2025)