PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue. 309

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

30 Nov. – 6 Dec. 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

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

Translation: Mays Abu Atwan and Ferdous Abdul Hamid

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 Presidency condemned the terrorist attacks carried out by colonists against four international solidarity activists in the Ein al-Duyuk area of ​​Jericho, which resulted in injuries of three Italians and one Canadian, as well as the theft of  personal belongings, passports and mobile phones. The Presidency warned of the severity of these terrorist acts, which violate international law, and held the Israeli government fully responsible for the serious repercussions of colonist attacks on both Palestinians and international activists. (December 1, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the renewed closure of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees’ headquarters in Ramallah and Hebron by Israeli occupation forces’, following raiding and vandalizing. The Ministry considered this part of a systematic policy aimed at undermining Palestinian civil society and development work. (December 2, 2025)
• The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club announced the names of three Palestinian prisoners from Gaza who died in Israeli prisons and military camps, following official responses from the Israeli army via the human rights organization HaMoked. These deaths are part of a broader pattern with dozens of prisoners and detainees having died in Israeli prisons since the start of the Israeli aggression, due to torture, starvation, medical neglect, sexual assault, and systematic violations of human rights. (December 4, 2025)

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

• Haaretz published a report on an Israeli military campaign titled ‘Why We Are Here’, which encourages soldiers and the Israeli public to visit archaeological sites and illegal settlements in the West Bank. (December 2, 2025)
• A review by the Israeli Public Defender’s Office reported that the conditions for Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails have sharply deteriorated since 7 October 2023. The report documented extreme overcrowding, widespread hunger, and near-daily beatings by prison staff. It indicated that prisoners are experiencing significant weight loss, and deprived of clean water and medical care, with numerous prisoners forced to sleep on the floor. (December 3, 2025)
• The Israeli Knesset advanced a motion to adopt US President Donald Trump’s 20-point “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” passing its first reading with 39 votes in favor and none against. The vote was held amid an almost total boycott by coalition lawmakers and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, due to the plan’s reference to a potential pathway toward Palestinian statehood — an idea the government rejects. (December 3, 2025)

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

• Saudi Arabia provided a financial grant of $90 million to the State of Palestine as part of what it described as continued Saudi support for 2025. (December 1, 2025)
• The U.S. state of New Jersey has divested its investments from a Norwegian company after it excluded several firms involved in building Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The decision was made under a state law requiring the pension fund to divest from companies perceived as taking positions against Israel. (December 1, 2025)
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned, in a message to the United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, that journalists in Gaza are facing displacement, famine, and death. Ambassador Collen V. Kelapile, Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, stressed that journalists are being targeted simply for conveying the truth and informing the world about the reality in Gaza. (December 1, 2025)
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip has significantly improved since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. OCHA stated, 42 health facilities, including four hospitals, have reopened or resumed operations, although 61% of health service points remain non-functional. UN agencies warned of growing risks facing persons with disabilities during the winter due to limited rehabilitation services, while UNICEF stated that two-thirds of children under five consumed only two or fewer food groups in October. (December 1–4, 2025)
• UNRWA said that its schools, teachers and students continue to be targeted, warning that the right to education for Palestine refugee children remains at serious risk. The agency stressed that those responsible for such violations must be held accountable. (December 1, 2025)
• The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution titled “Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine”, calling for Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 and for respect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination. Israel and the United States objected to the resolution, deeming it ‘biased’ and ‘disconnected from reality.’ (December 2, 2025)
• The World Health Organization distanced itself from the statements made by its representative in Israel, Michel Thieren, who compared United Nations discussions on Palestinian statehood to a deal with the “ Nazi devil”. The organization emphasized that these statements do not reflect its official position. (December 2, 2025)
• The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, stated that of the Israeli army’s logic is based on viewing ‘every Palestinian as a terrorist,’ including children, emphasizing that the so-called ceasefire has not change the reality of genocide on the ground. She urged countries to impose an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel, rather than merely offering “empty peace plans”.  (December 2, 2025)
• The British Foreign Secretary reported that the United Kingdom had sent tents to Gaza to provide emergency shelter for approximately 12,000 people from families affected by the conflict. She emphasized that the situation remains dire, urging Israel to allow more aid into the strip and to immediately open all roads and crossings. (December 2, 2025)
• The final statement issued at the conclusion of the 46th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and called for an end to the Israeli occupation. It also stressed the need to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. (December 4, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated that Palestinian refugees remain refugees because of the absence of a political solution, emphasizing that dismantling UNRWA will not solve their status, and only a political solution can end a situation that was meant to be temporary. (December 4, 2025)
• The U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the second phase of the Gaza administration plan is “going to happen pretty soon”, which includes the formation of a ‘Peace Council’ under his leadership to oversee the governance of Gaza, as well as the establishment of an “International Stability Force” to secure the Strip. The force will include international participation and will be granted authorization through a UN resolution. (December 4, 2025)”
• The United Nations General Assembly adopted several resolutions related to the question of Palestine. These included the resolution on “operations of UNRWA” which affirmed full support for the Agency’s mandate, condemned the killing of more than 300 of its staff, and warned against any attempts to undermine its work. The Assembly also adopted the resolution on “Assistance to Palestinian Refugees” extending UNRWA’s mandate until June 30, 2029, and the resolution on “Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues”  reaffirming the refugees’ right to their property and the income derived from it. Additionally the Assembly adopted the resolution on “Israeli practices in the occupied territory” condemning Israeli violations, and the resolution on “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,” which reaffirmed the illegality of settlements and called for a halt to all settlement activities. (December 5, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the UN General Assembly’s renewal of UNRWA’s mandate for three years, stressing that the decision reflects the international community’s recognition of its responsibility to support the humanitarian and human development needs of Palestinian refugees while they wait a just and lasting solution to their decades-long plight. (December 5, 2025)
• The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar expressed deep concern over Israeli statements about opening the Rafah crossing in one direction to allow the evacuation of Gaza residents. They affirmed their complete rejection of any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land and called for adherence to US President Donald Trump’s plan, which stipulates opening the crossing in both directions, ensuring residents’ freedom of movement, and creating conditions that enable them to return. (December 5, 2025)
• Ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Germany called on Israel to halt settlement construction in the West Bank, which constitutes a clear violation of international law and a major obstacle to a two-state solution and the implementation of the peace plan. Germany reiterated its rejection of any steps aimed at annexing the West Bank and condemned settler violence. (December 5, 2025)
• The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned Israeli statements suggesting the opening of the Rafah crossing in one direction to forcibly displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, stressing that forced displacement constitutes a war crime. (December 6, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• The Palestinian Journalists’ Protection Center revealed that a Palestinian journalist detained by the Israeli authorities was subjected to rape and sexual torture inside the “Sde Teiman” detention center, using a trained dog. The Center noted that the incident constitutes a crime of rape, sexual torture, a war crime, and potentially a crime against humanity. (November 30, 2025)
• Al-Haq submitted a report to the UN Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, warning that Israel’s use of artificial intelligence in warfare and surveillance undermines the Palestinian people’s right to development and self-determination. The organization called for a global ban on the use of military AI in situations of genocide, occupation, or apartheid. (December 1, 2025)
• The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) condemned the raid conducted by the Israeli occupying forces on the headquarters of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) in Ramallah, Al-Bireh and Hebron, and the theft of its property, describing it as an act of occupation piracy targeting Palestinian civil society, destroying the Palestinian’s economy, and undermining their resilience. Meanwhile, Al-Haq affirmed that the raid on the Union’s offices and the ban on its work are part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at dismantling Palestinian organizations. (December 1, 2025)
• Human Rights Watch condemned the repeated attacks on the International Criminal Court by the United States, Russia and other governments seeking to undermine the court’s jurisdiction and to shield US and Israeli officials from prosecution, noting that cyberattacks against the Court are ongoing. (December 1, 2025)
• Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights sent an open letter to the President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, expressing grave concern over the ongoing harassment, threats, and U.S. and Israeli sanctions targeting ICC officials, NGOs, and individuals cooperating with the court. They called for condemnation of the U.S. sanctions, which constitute interference in evidence collection and may amount to “offences against the administration of justice” under Article 70 of the Rome Statute. (December 1, 2025)
• The Palestinian Journalists Protection Center of Journalists condemned the assassination of photojournalist Mahmoud Wadi, who was killed by a missile fired from an Israeli drone in central Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The Center described the attack as a deliberate killing and a war crime. (December 2, 2025)
• Osnat Cohen-Lifshitz, Director of the Legal Department at the Israeli organization Gisha/Meselakh, stated that Israel treats humanitarian law as a diversion and does not adhere to the international legal framework. She stressed that investigating crimes and ensuring accountability is essential, and that if justice is not pursued domestically, it must be sought through international prosecution (December 2, 2025)
• DAWN called on the U.S. government to impose sanctions on the Israeli officials responsible for the torture and systematic abuses of Palestinian detainees, citing a report issued by the UN Committee Against Torture, which revealed ‘a de facto State policy of organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment’ against Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. (December 2, 2025)
• Palestinian civil society organizations, including Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and Addameer, submitted joint alternative reports to the UN Committee Against Torture, addressing Israel’s systematic policy of torturing Palestinians and arbitrarily detaining them as part of the crime of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people. (December 2, 2025)
• On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “Shams” issued a position paper titled “Palestine Under the Impact of Disability: Beyond the Wounds,” showing that the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has caused one of the largest waves of forced disability in Palestinian history. In the same context, Al-Haq published a report highlighting the testimonies of Palestinians who became disabled during the genocide in Gaza, shedding light on the experiences of those who sustained disabilities as a result of the ongoing crimes in Gaza. (December 3, 2025)
• The Platform, a coalition of thirteen Israeli Human Rights Organisations— published a report reviewing two years of Israel’s war on Gaza and the grave violations of international law accompanying it in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. These violations included the use of Palestinians as human shields, the deterioration of detainees’ conditions, the escalating settler violence, accelerating expulsions, tightened movement restrictions, and annexation policies such as  designation of archaeological sites as Israeli property. (December 3, 2025)
• Gisha/Meslek affirmed that opening the Rafah crossing would be a welcome step, particularly for the thousands in need of urgent medical evacuation. However, it stressed that this does not override Israel’s obligation to restore access to hospitals in Israel and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It added that opening the crossing for exit only reinforces the risk of forcible transfer. (December 3, 2025)
• The Hind Rajab Foundation, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights filed a complaint with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, requesting an investigation and the arrest of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 2008–2009 Gaza war. The complaint cites the Canadian War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Act and the principle of universal jurisdiction. (December 3, 2025)
• The Euro-Med Monitor for Human Rights said that the Israeli army has pursued a systematic policy of burying Palestinian bodies in unmarked graves during the ongoing genocide in Gaza for more than two years, including in areas near aid distribution centres. It called for the immediate disclosure of the locations of all mass and individual grave sites, the entry of independent forensic into the Strip, the identification of victims and their burial in line with religious and humanitarian standards, and ensuring accountability for those responsible. (3 December 2025)
• Doctors Without Borders(MSF) called for an increase in medical evacuations of children and patients from the Gaza Strip after two years of intense warfare, noting that Gaza’s healthcare system is in collapse and thousands of Palestinians are suffering from critical injuries and life-threatening diseases. The organization stressed that medical evacuations are essential to save civilian lives, and affirmed patients’ right to return to Gaza after receiving treatment. (December 4, 2025)

Research and academic studies (in Arabic and English):

• The Journal of College of Law for Legal and Political Sciences published a research paper by Rafal Ayad Salih titled “Challenges of International Humanitarian Law in War Societies: The Gaza Strip as a Model.” (2025)
• The Asia Africa Regulatory Development Review published a research paper by Jelly Akter titled “Challenges of the United Nations to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Using Liberal Institutionalism (2000–2024).” (2025)
• The University of Groningen published a research paper by Gleider Hernández and Ramses A. Wessel titled: “Expert Legal Opinion on the Implications for the European Union of the July 2024 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion regarding the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. (2025)
• The journal Dialectical Anthropology published a research paper by Craig Mokhiber titled: “ Law onTrial: Gaza and the Future of the International Legal Order”. (2025)

Opinion Pieces and features

• Medium published an article by Rima Najjar titled: “Breaking the Tax Cage: How Palestinians Can Recover Autonomy Under Occupation.” (November 30, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an article By Noor Alyacoubi titled: ‘The genocide in Gaza cost this Palestinian woman her hands. She lost so much more than her limbs.’ (December 1, 2025)
• The Guardian published an article by Jason Burke titled: ‘‘I have been defeated’: hundreds of Palestinians face eviction from East Jerusalem’ (December 1, 2025)
• The Guardian published an article by Nesrine Malik titled: “It’s Not Just Gaza. From the West Bank to Syria and Lebanon, Israel’s onslaught continues”. (December 1, 2025)”
• The New York Times published an article by Ben Rhodes titled: “This Is the Story of How the Democrats Blew it on Gaza.” (December 1, 2025)
• Arab News published an opinion article by Osama Al-Sharif titled: “UN documents Israeli torture but world remains silent” (December 2, 2025)
• Responsible Statecraft published an article by Connor Echols titled: “Inside Israel’s shadow campaign to win over American media” (December 2, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an opinion piece by Matt Seriff-Cullick titled: “Stop calling right-wing criticism of Israel ‘anti-Zionism’”. (December 2, 2025)
• Daoud Kuttab published an article titled: “Beit Sahour Mayor Warns World, Church Leaders of New Illegal Israeli Settlement”. (December 3, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an article By Qassam Muaddi titled: “As displaced Palestinians wait to return to their homes in West Bank refugee camps, U.S. reconstruction plans threaten to erase the camps”. (December 3, 2025)
• Counter Punch published an article by Binoy Kampmark titled: “A Ceasefire in Name Only: Gaza’s Prolonged Purgatory”. (December 4, 2025)
• Haaretz published an opinion piece titled: “Israel Is Erecting Another Expulsion and Annexation Fence in the West Bank”. (December 4, 2025)
• The Wall Street Journal published an article by By Anat Peled titled: “Israel’s Latest Military Tech: Tested in Gaza, Wanted by the West”. (December 4, 2025)
• Foreign Affairs published an article by Andrew P. Miller titled “The End of the Israel Exception: A New Paradigm for American Policy.” (December 5, 2025)

Human Rights Activities and Conferences

• A group of human rights organizations, including the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Global Legal Action Network, informed Microsoft of its potential legal responsibility for complicity in committing genocide and war crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The organizations pointed to Microsoft’s continued provision of services to the Israeli military and called on the company, ahead of its annual shareholders’ meeting on December 5, to end all services being used illegally and to provide compensation to those affected. (December 2, 2025)
• Human rights conferences and events, along with more than 200 prominent cultural figures—including writers, actors, musicians, and international artists—called for the release of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti. The signatories emphasized that his continued detention is not due to any security threat to Israel, but rather to his capacity to advocate for Palestinian unity and a two-state solution. (December 3, 2025)
• 7amleh held its second annual European conference in Brussels under the theme “Protect or Perpetuate? The European Union’s Choice on Palestinian Digital Freedoms,” bringing together experts from academia, civil society, journalism, EU institutions, and the tech sector to examine the unprecedented pressure on Palestinian digital rights and the impact of European laws and policies on freedom of expression. (3 December 2025)
• The Zochrot organization held an online webinar as part of its series “Return and Resistance from Within – Two Years of Genocide, 78 Years of Ongoing Nakba.” The organization stated that the four sessions in this series, which will conclude on December 21, will explore the right of return in its historical, legal, and moral foundations. (December 3, 2025)
• The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) filed a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission against Microsoft, alleging the unlawful processing of personal data on behalf of the Israeli Occupation Army in Gaza. It emphasized that this processing contributed to the killing of civilians in Gaza. (December 4, 2025)”