PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE –Issue.254

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

10 – 16 Nov 2024

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

Prepared by: Razwan Issa, Nour Kharouf, Arwa Abdel Moniam, Kamal Abdulkarim

 Translation: Ferdous Abdul Hamid and Asmaa Louzon

Editing: Haneen Shaath

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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Israeli bombing of Jabalia and denounced Israel’s efforts to entrench its occupation of the Gaza Strip and impose a new reality that does not allow for the presence of Palestinian citizens. This is being carried out through the expansion of settlement corridors in Gaza, the division of the area, and the construction of permanent military installations. The Ministry stressed that Israel is using the policy of starvation as a weapon. (November 10, 2024)
• The Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Mustafa called for the adoption of a draft resolution in the UN Security Council granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations, while demanding a freeze on Israel’s participation in the UN General Assembly. (November 10, 2024)
• The Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club stated that the Israeli occupation authorities are committing brutal violations against detainees from the Gaza Strip. They noted the spread of scabies among hundreds of prisoners in the Negev prison, amid the Israeli authorities’ denial of treatment and their deliberate disregard for the causes and circumstances that contribute to the continued spread of the disease. In another statement, the Authority warned that Palestinian female prisoners in Damon Prison are subjected to psychological torture and privacy violations, in addition to the suffering of prisoners in Megiddo Prison from hunger, cold and medical neglect. (November 10-11, 2024)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the statements and calls made by several Israeli officials regarding the imposition of sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, describing them as colonial and racist, and an extension of the genocide war. The Ministry called on the international community to take a serious stance against the Israeli unilateral and illegal measures. (November 11-12, 2024)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the international community’s failure to stop the genocidal war against the Palestinian people has encouraged Israel to advance plans to annex the West Bank or parts of it. The ministry added that Israel uses such statements as trial balloons to test international reactions. It also pointed to an escalation in the demolition of homes and land confiscation by the occupation, citing the demolition of eight homes in Silwan, Jerusalem. (November 14, 2024)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the Israeli occupation authorities’ demolition of Al-Bustan Association headquarters in Silwan of occupied Jerusalem as a manifestation of Israel’s official policy aimed at the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian presence in the city. The ministry called on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to assume legal and ethical responsibilities. Additionally, the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs warned that the Israeli escalation of demolition operations in the Al-Bustan neighborhood reflects Israel’s intent to erase the neighborhood from the map, paving the way for the establishment of a Torah Garden on its ruins, which amounts to ethnic cleansing. (November 15, 2024)

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

• Israel submitted a request to the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC), asking for information to clarify whether there are grounds to doubt the impartiality of Judge Beti Hohler in considering requests for arrest warrants related to Israel. This request is based on the fact that Judge Hoeller had previously worked in the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor before being elected as a judge in December 2023. Israel demanded information on whether Judge Hohler had directly worked on the Palestinian situation during her time in the Prosecutor’s Office. (November 11, 2024)
• Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections presents an opportunity for Israel to apply sovereignty over Jewish settlements in the West Bank. He emphasized that the incoming Trump administration will allow Israel to advance the annexation of settlements, noting that his government has already begun laying the groundwork for this. Smotrich emphasized that the application of sovereignty includes annexing the settlements and extending Israeli civil law to their residents. He further declared that 2025 is the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, claiming that this will prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and remove the danger of a Palestinian terror state. (November 11, 2024)
• Following the Israeli Knesset Ethics Committee’s decision to impose a six-month suspension on MK Ofer Cassif from participating in parliamentary activities, except for voting, due to his support for South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel and his accusations of Israeli war crimes, Cassif denounced the decision as unjust. He affirmed his refusal to remain silent about what he described as war crimes, massacres, and starvation in Gaza. Cassif stated: “Such is the state of the so called democracy in Israel, that those who chant their support for genocide and celebrate the killing of innocents are considered heroes, while those who fight for justice and peace are persecuted as ‘traitors.’” In the same context, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the punishment as insufficient, demanding that the terror supporter Ofer Cassif be expelled from the Knesset and deported to Syria. (November 11, 2024)
• Nissim Vaturi, a member of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, stated that the Prime Minister must stop humanitarian aid to Gaza. He confirmed that the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the Israeli Knesset will approve a draft law banning the display of flags of hostile states, including the Palestinian flag, in institutions funded or supported by the state. Under the proposed law, authorities would be allowed to disperse any gathering where such flags are raised and impose penalties of up to one year in prison, in addition to a minimum fine of 10,000 shekels. (November 14, 2024)
• Commenting on a report published by Maariv Newspaper regarding the role of the Israeli Settlement Directorate in controlling lands in Area C of the West Bank, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the diligent and professional work of the directorate helps halt Palestinian control over these areas, thereby preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state that he claimed would threaten Israel’s existence. (November 15, 2024)

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

• UNRWA Communications Director Juliette Touma confirmed that the Israeli legislation preventing the agency’s work has not directly impacted UNRWA’s programs or operations so far but has caused significant concern among its staff in Gaza and the West Bank. She indicated that the agency is currently working with UN member states to pressure Israel to revoke the legislation, emphasizing that UNRWA cannot provide humanitarian assistance without coordinating with the concerned parties, especially in Gaza, where the agency relies on Israeli military permits to access dangerous areas. Touma affirmed that there is currently no alternative to UNRWA and that the agency will continue its operations in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria if funding is available. (November 10, 2024)
• German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that humanitarian aid has not reached the Gaza Strip with such deficiencies throughout the past year, and there is no other place in the world with such a large number of children who have had their limbs amputated. She emphasized that Israel’s right to self-defense is limited by international humanitarian law, which requires ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid and preventing it from being used as a tool of war. She reiterated that promises had been made repeatedly but not fulfilled. Baerbock added that the Israeli government had promised to flood Gaza with humanitarian assistance, and that Israel must uphold this commitment without excuses. (November 10, 2024)
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, called for an investigation into the Western media for the role they are playing in obscuring Israel’s atrocities. She stressed that international tribunals previously found media figures responsible for complicity, incitement and committing international crimes. In another statement, Albanese stated that pro-Israelism by some Western countries is dangerous, hypocritical, and shameful at the time an entire people is being exterminated with a mix of 21st century military technologies and evergreen genocidal sadism. (November 10, 2024)
• The UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned of a possible famine in northern Gaza, noting that hunger has been weaponized by the State of Israel. Lazzarini called for the necessary political will to reverse and address the hunger crisis, urging for an increase in the flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies to Gaza on an uninterrupted (November 10, 2024)
• The Chief of the Programme Management and Support Section at the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), Takuto Kubo, stated that explosive remnants of war in Gaza pose a grave threat and hinder reconstruction and long-term recovery efforts in the region. He added that the United Nations is making intensive efforts to assess the risks of unexploded ordnance, but difficult security conditions are hampering the implementation of demining operations. (November 10, 2024)
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that humanitarian access to northern Gaza remains severely limited due to the ongoing blockade on the area. It expressed deep concern about the fate of the Palestinians still remaining in northern Gaza under the continued blockade, and urgently called on Israel to open the area to humanitarian operations to meet the growing needs. The office revealed that humanitarian agencies submitted 50 requests to the Israeli authorities for access to northern Gaza in the past month, of which 33 requests were rejected outright, while 8 requests were accepted but were subsequently subject to obstacles that prevented their implementation. (November 11, 2024)
• The UN Human Rights Office condemned Israeli security forces’ mass arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinians during raids in refugee camps and towns across the West Bank. It stated that the information gathered shows the excessive and unlawful force by Israeli forces in the absence of apparent threat. The Office added that the wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure, arbitrary detention, and ill-treatment of Palestinians violates international humanitarian law and international human rights law. (November 11, 2024)
• In the resolution issued by the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit held in Riyadh, the organization held Israel responsible for the failure of efforts to reach a ceasefire as a result of its retreat from the agreements reached by the negotiators. The states affirmed their continued support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the need to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders. They also emphasized the right of refugees to return and be compensated, and strongly condemned the crimes of genocide, enforced disappearance, and torture committed by the occupation forces in Gaza. The summit called for an international investigation, urging the activation of the roles of the UN Security Council and General Assembly to take binding steps against Israel, including a ceasefire. The summit also called on member states to ban arms exports to Israel, support initiatives to impose sanctions on Israel, and submit a resolution to the UN General Assembly to freeze Israel’s participation in the Assembly. It called for classifying Israeli settlers as terrorist groups and organizations, boycotting settlement products and companies operating within them, and creating a shame list that include the names of these companies. (November 11, 2024)
• The Qatari, Saudi, Jordanian and Kuwaiti foreign ministries condemned in the strongest terms the statements made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the annexation of the occupied West Bank and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty. They stressed that these statements represent a blatant violation of international law and UN resolutions, and hinder the chances of achieving peace and stability in the region. Qatar emphasized the need for the international community to unite against settler-colonial policies and racism. Saudi Arabia described the statements as a confirmation of occupation and control of territories by force, which constitutes a dangerous precedent that threatens the credibility of the international system. Jordan called for the protection of the Palestinian people and the fulfillment of their legitimate rights to establish their independent state. (November 11th, 2024)
• The Swiss Ambassador to Israel, Simon Geissbühler, stated that the announcement of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to “apply sovereignty” over the West Bank is a blatant violation of international law and will further undermine the fragile prospect for peace. He asked the Israeli government to unambiguously distance itself from this statement. France also condemned the statements, considering them contrary to international law. Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the unilateral steps, which disregard international law and jeopardize peace efforts, urging that they be avoided at all costs. The Spanish government and Canadian Minister of State for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, expressed their rejection of the statements, stressing that annexation by force is contrary to international law. For his part, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, condemned the statements, stressing that they are a clear step towards illegal annexation of the West Bank. (November 12, 2024)
• The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the extremist statements made by Israeli Minister Smotrich regarding the extension of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. The OIC warned of the seriousness of the ongoing escalation and organized terrorism against Palestinians. (November 12, 2024)
• UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge described the situation in northern Gaza as “nothing short of catastrophic.” She highlighted that the past month witnessed 64 attacks on schools that had been converted into shelters, averaging two attacks per day, resulting in the deaths of many people, including children. She noted that northern Gaza is facing an looming famine with winter approaching, while shelters are insufficient to protect people from harsh weather conditions. She added that 500,000 people live in flood-prone areas without access to safe shelters to protect them from the rain. (November 12, 2024)
• The UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya warned of the catastrophic situation in Gaza, stating that “conditions of life across Gaza are unfit for human survival.” She noted that 70 per cent of civilian housing is either damaged or destroyed, while the increasing siege, along with starvation and shortages of food and water, is pushing the population to the brink of famine. Msuya expressed concern over the ban on UNRWA activities and the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, where Israeli forces continue to employ lethal tactics and destroy houses. She called for accountability for those responsible for international crimes. (November 12, 2024)
• The Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Vedant Patel stated that the United State is seriously concerned about the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza due to the ongoing military escalation, which has exacerbated humanitarian suffering and threatened the lives of innocent civilians. He claimed that there was an earlier agreement that included an Israeli commitment to ease restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, but Israel has not adhered to this agreement during the 30-day period that was set. Patel added that the United States would continue to pressure the concerned parties to uphold their humanitarian commitments. (November 12, 2024)
• The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting at the request of Switzerland and Guyana to discuss the risk of famine in northern Gaza, amid warnings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) of a “strong likelihood that famine is imminent” in the region. Switzerland expressed deep concern over the report, emphasizing that using starvation as a weapon of war is prohibited under international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime. It called for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages, and unhindered humanitarian access. Ilze Brands Kehris, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, noted that Israel’s destruction of civilian infrastructure exacerbates the risk of famine and urged the Council to take immediate steps to end violations and ensure accountability. (November 12, 2024)
• S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Washington with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to discuss steps taken by Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Blinken emphasized the importance of achieving tangible improvements in the humanitarian conditions, including providing more aid to Palestinians in Gaza, ensuring Israel takes all possible steps to minimize civilian harm, ending the war, and securing the release of hostages. He stated that while Israel has taken some positive measures, three key issues still need to be addressed: ensuring the safe return of civilians to their areas after evacuations, restoring commercial transport, and implementing prolonged pauses in fighting. He added that Israel has achieved its strategic objectives by dismantling Hamas. (November 12–13, 2024)
• In his statement before the UN General Assembly Fourth Committee, the UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini emphasized that the collapse of the UNRWA threatens the lives of Palestinian refugees and the stability of the region. He warned that the legislation passed by the Israeli parliament last month could end UNRWA’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territory. Lazzarini stressed that UNRWA is the only agency capable of providing services in the absence of a Palestinian state. He also raised concerns about UNRWA staff being subjected to attacks and arrests, and called on member states to act to prevent the implementation of the legislation and to maintain funding for the agency to ensure the continued delivery of critical services in the region. (November 13, 2024)
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that six attempts to deliver food and water to besieged areas of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya were blocked by Israeli authorities. Additionally, there has been an increase in military operations in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, where residents have appealed to rescue teams to evacuate them amid intense fighting. (November 13, 2024)
• The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the UN General Assembly adopted a draft resolution (A/C.2/79/L.40) titled “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.” The resolution demanded that Israel, as the occupying power, cease exploiting the natural resources in the Palestinian Territory and the Syrian Golan, and recognized the right of the Palestinian people to seek compensation for any exploitation or damage to their natural resources. (November 13, 2024)
• Nearly 90 members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to impose sanctions on members of the Israeli government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, due to their incitement of settler violence in the West Bank. They highlighted that Israeli settlers have carried out more than 1,270 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. (November 14, 2024)
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, commented on the Israeli decision regarding the detention of children under the age of 14, stating that up to 700 Palestinian children have been kidnapped each year for decades by the Israeli occupation, where they are held as hostages under the pretext of being an imminent threat in the making. (November 14, 2024)
• The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices has released a report confirming that Israel’s war in Gaza constitutes genocide. The report addressed the catastrophic impact of the war on Palestinian rights, including the use of artificial intelligence-assisted targeting with minimal human oversight and heavy bombs. It called on member states to prevent violations, hold Israel accountable, and end support for the apartheid regime and the attack on Gaza, noting that it will present its report to the UN General Assembly on the 18th of the next month. (November 14, 2024)
• The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, proposed in a letter to EU foreign ministers to suspend political dialogue with Israel, expressing concern about potential violations of international humanitarian law in the ongoing war in Gaza. (November 14, 2024)
• Canada expressed deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and the life-threatening levels of acute malnutrition, noting that civilians are dying due to the lack of humanitarian aid while relief agencies face significant challenges in delivering assistance. The Canadian government called on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure substantial and sustained humanitarian aid delivery. (November 14, 2024)
• The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the UN General Assembly approved a draft resolution (A/C.3/79/L.49) titled “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.” The resolution stressed the urgency of achieving, without delay, an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. It reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. (November 14, 2024)
• Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Corbyn, stated that “there is a very simple reason why the UK government refuses to acknowledge the genocide in Gaza. If they did, they would be admitting their own complicity in one of the greatest crimes of our time.” He called for an immediate cessation of all arms sales to Israel. (November 14, 2024)
• The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, published an article titled “War in Gaza: we cannot continue with business as usual.” He addressed EU member states, stating “we need to acknowledge that the approach we have used for over a year with the Israeli government has failed.” He noted that in other cases where international rules have been routinely violated, Europe has imposed sanctions, while Israel has been spared from any meaningful consequences. He called for a ban on the import of products from illegal settlements and an assessment of Israel’s compliance with the EU Association Agreement, proposing the suspension of political dialogue with Israel. (November15, 2024)
• UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge stated that humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip has remained insufficient throughout the ongoing brutal war for the past 13 months. She explained that “we are surrounded every day by people who beg for pieces of bread, who need access to water. The situation the population has been forced into is just unbearable”. (November 15, 2024)
• Marking the 36th anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, President of the Arab Parliament, Mohammad Al-Yamahi, called on the international community, including the United Nations and the UN Security Council, to provide all types of political and diplomatic support and international protection for the Palestinian people. He also urged halt to the genocidal war and forced displacement, and the ending of the occupation. (November 15, 2024)

Publications of human rights NGOs:

• The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli policy of bombing homes and targeting families, describing it as part of an Israeli policy aimed at carrying out genocide and ethnic cleansing through the destruction of civilian homes and preventing their return. The center called on the international community to take urgent action to stop these mass crimes, ensure the right of displaced persons to return to their homes, and hold Israel accountable. It also urged countries to halt the supply of weapons and ammunition to Israel. (November 10, 2024)
• 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media has released a new report titled “Delete the Issue: Tech Worker Testimonies on Palestinian Advocacy and Workplace Suppression.” The report shared testimonies gathered from current and former employees in major technology companies, including Meta, Google, PayPal, Microsoft, and LinkedIn. It shed light on the censorship and discriminatory policies faced by employees advocating for Palestinian rights in their work environments, reflecting a systemic and structural bias against supporters of Palestinian rights within tech companies. (November 11, 2024)
• Eight humanitarian organizations, including Refugees International, MedGlobal, NRC, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Save the Children, Anera, and CARE, released a scorecard titled “The Gaza Scorecard,” assessing Israel’s failure to comply with U.S. demands to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The scorecard highlights Israel’s failure to make any progress in the 30 days following the letter from the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense on October 13. The organizations called on the United States to take immediate actions, such as suspending arms sales to Israel and imposing restrictions on security cooperation, asserting that the current situation is consistent with “ethnic cleansing.” Additionally, J Street issued a press release urging the Biden administration to suspend certain U.S. arms sales to Israel due to its continued obstruction of humanitarian aid access to Gaza. (November 12, 2024)
• Agence Média Palestine released a report titled “Medical Genocide: The Systematic and Deliberate Destruction of the Palestinian Health System by Israel”. (November 12, 2024)
• The Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC) condemned the destruction of the Al-Bustan Center in the Silwan neighborhood, East Jerusalem, which had been a vital community resource supporting Palestinian residents. JLAC called on the international community to take urgent action to protect the Palestinian presence in the Al-Bustan neighborhood. (November 13, 2024)
• Haaretz revealed that the Israeli Defense Forces are gearing up to remain in Gaza until at least the end of 2025. The report indicated that the Israeli army is widening roads, building substantial outposts and installing long-term infrastructure, including water and electricity networks. It is also demolishing buildings and destroying existing infrastructure, reflecting a shift in its objectives towards building new settlements in Gaza. (November 13, 2024)
• The Independent Commission for Human Rights (Ombudsman Office) issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations and its relevant organizations to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities to open the crossings and allow the entry of food supplies into the Gaza Strip, particularly its northern region, which has been under intense bombardment and a severe blockade for over 40 days. The commission emphasized the need to implement the recommendations of the Famine Review Committee (FRC), which warned of an imminent famine. (November 13, 2024)
• Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a new report refuting Israeli officials’ claims that the evacuations in Gaza comply with the laws of war. The organization concluded that these actions constitute serious violations of human rights, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, holding Israeli authorities responsible for the mass and deliberate forced displacement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The report, titled “Hopeless, Starving, and Besieged’: Israel’s Forced Displacement of Palestinians in Gaza,” highlights the large-scale displacement targeting approximately 1.9 million Palestinians, accounting for over 90% of the Strip’s population. (November 14, 2024)
• Ben & Jerry’s has filed a lawsuit against its parent company, Unilever, accusing it of attempting to prevent the ice cream brand from publicly expressing support for Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. The dispute between the two companies began when Ben & Jerry’s decided to stop selling its products in the occupied West Bank. Ben & Jerry’s stated that Unilever sought to silence its public positions, which included calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and support for Palestinian refugees’ rights. Unilever denied the accusations, asserting that it would defend its legal position. (November 14, 2024)

Opinion Pieces and features:

• Al Jazeera published an op-ed by Tony Greenstein titled “Why is Germany supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza?” (November 8, 2024)
• Mondowiess published an analytical piece on media by James North titled “‘NYTimes’ biased coverage of Amsterdam soccer violence attempts to hide Israeli racism.” (November 10, 202)
• The New Arab published an article by Lex Takkenberg titled “By banning UNRWA, Israel attempts to erase Palestinian refugees.” (November 11, 2024)
• Mondowiess published an article by AbdalJawad Omar titled “Liberal guilt and Palestine.” (November 11, 2024)
• Al Jazeera published an op-ed by Andrew Mitrovica titled “Biden can still save what remains of Gaza, and his sorry legacy.” (November 11, 2024)
• Mondowiess published an op-ed by Eric Cheyfitz titled “The weaponization of antisemitism and the suppression of expression at Cornell University and beyond.” (November 11, 2024)
• Middle East Eye published an op-ed by Joseph Massad titled “Why Dutch support for Israel’s football hooligans has roots in colonial racism.” (November 12, 2024)
• The Guardian published an op-ed by Ben Reiff titled “Israel’s true objective in northern Gaza? Removing Palestinians – and annexing the territory.” (November 12, 2024)
• Al Jazeera published an op-ed by Belén Fernández titled “Biden (maybe) wants Israel to stop using US bulldozers for ethnic cleansing.” (November 12, 2024)
• Gulf News published an op-ed by Ashok Swain titled “Undermining ICC’s independence to shield Israel.” (November 12, 2024)
• Institute for Palestine Studies published an article by Noor H. titled “Dissolving Limits to Order, Disrupting the University of Chicago for Gaza,” which discussed student activism in the United States during the Gaza war. (November 12, 2024)
• Al-Shabaka published a discussion paper titled “Trump’s Return: Implications for the Palestinian Struggle,” featuring contributions from its analysts: Tariq Kenney-Shawa, Hanna Alshaikh, Abdullah Al-Arian, and Andrew Kadi. (November 13, 2024)
• Al Jazeera published an op-ed by James Smith titled “Israel’s UNRWA ban is another declaration of genocidal intent.” (November 13, 2024)
• The Guardian published an op-ed by Owen Jones titled “Is there any red line that Israel will be held to? Biden has just confirmed the answer is no.” (November 13, 2024)
• Haaretz published an op-ed by Noa Landau titled “This Is How Netanyahu Will Annex the West Bank.” (November 13, 2024)
• The Electronic Intifada published an article by David Cronin titled “How EU planned a new prison for Jenin during an Israeli invasion.” (November 14, 2024)
• Al Jazeera published an op-ed by Ghada Ageel titled “The Gaza Genocide May Not Be in the News, But It Hasn’t Stopped.” (November 14, 2024)
• Arab News published an op-ed by Daoud Kuttab titled “Israel applying a colonial mindset to its war on Gaza.” (November 15, 2024)

Legal Achievements/Impacts for Palestine:

• In an article, writer Mirza Waheed announced his decision to boycott the screening of a film adaptation of his novel “The Collaborator” at the Tamuz Shomron Film Festival in the Ariel settlement in the occupied West Bank. He cited the festival’s association with the Samaria Cinema Fund, which promotes Israeli occupation and works to whitewash Israel’s apartheid system. Waheed explained that this decision aligns with the pledge of over 5,000 writers and publishers to refrain from collaborating with Israeli cultural institutions complicit in the oppression of Palestinians. (November 13, 2024)

Human rights conferences and events:

• Nadine Kaddoura, the founder of the CERTIORARIS organization and a former UN employee, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the executive directors of the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In her letter, she called for a halt to the termination of Palestinian staff who have fled Gaza for their safety amidst the escalating conflict there. (November 11, 2024)

Upcoming human rights opportunities and events:

• SPUI25 announced an event titled “The Role of International Law in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israel before The Hague Courts,” scheduled for Monday, November 18, 2024. The event aims to discuss the aftermath of the ICJ’s ruling released in July 2024, which declared that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful, as well as the case brought by South Africa concerning the prevention of genocide in Gaza. The discussion will explore the responsibilities of the international community, particularly the Netherlands and the European Union countries, in light of the escalating war in Palestine and Lebanon, with a focus on international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and the role of international sanctions. The discussion will feature Professor Nimer Sultany, Professor Janne Nijman and Professor Sergey Vasiliev, and will be moderated by researcher Miriam Heipertz.
• 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media announced a webinar titled “Palestine Advocacy and Tech Workers Suppression” to be held on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM Palestine time. The webinar will address the complicity of major tech companies in the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, with a focus on discussing a report prepared by 7amleh. The report highlights 25 stories of tech industry employees who faced suppression due to their pro-Palestinian stances. To register for the event, click here.
• The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) announced a special meeting to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2024. The meeting will be held on November 26, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM New York time at the United Nations headquarters in New York. For in-person attendance, click here for more details. The meeting will also be broadcast on UN Web TV.
• The International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam announced a seminar jointly organized by the Boston University School of Law and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, and hosted by the Legal Mobilization Platform. The seminar, titled “Gaza at the ICC: Denial of Palestinians’ Right to Return under International Criminal Law,” will take place on December 3, 2024, from 18:30 to 20:30 at the International Institute of Social Studies in Hague (Room Aula B). The seminar will be moderated by Jeff Handmaker, with speakers including Haydee Dijkstal, Susan Akram, and Ahmed Abofoul. The seminar will address a number of issues related to the right of return, most notably the systematic denial of this right through a range of laws and policies that prevent Palestinian refugees from returning to and residing in the homes and lands they or their ancestors were forced to leave. It will also discuss the arguments made in the Article 15 Communication to the International Criminal Court on the denial of the Palestinian right to return as a crime against humanity. In addition, the speakers will address historical and current patterns of violations of the right to return that may be brought to the Office of the Prosecutor. To register, click here. 
• The Hearing Palestine initiative at the University of Toronto announced the opening of applications for a Post-doctoral Fellowship in Palestinian Studies, with a focus on Palestine and/or Palestinian archives. The university invited outstanding scholars whose research critically engages with the historical, political, cultural, and social dimensions of Palestine or Palestinians to apply. The deadline for applications is January 6, 2025.