PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue.267

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

9 – 15 Feb 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

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

 Translation: Maisaa Abdelqader and Asmaa Louzon

Editing: Ihsan Adel

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 Israeli statements suggesting the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi Arabian territory, denouncing them as a blatant violation of international law, UN resolutions, and the UN Charter. The ministry also described these claims as an act of aggression against the sovereignty, security, and stability of Saudi Arabia and all Arab nations. It further asserted that the Israeli government, led by Netanyahu, is using such rhetoric to deflect attention from its crimes against the Palestinian people, including ethnic cleansing, the destruction of Gaza, and its ongoing expansionist policies in the West Bank. (February 8-10, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the execution carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the Nur Shams camp, which led to the martyrdom of Rahaf Ashqar (21) and Sundus Shalabi (23) and the injury of Rahaf’s father and Sundus’s husband. The ministry also denounced the obstruction of ambulances and the delay in transferring the injured to the besieged Thabet Thabet Hospital, describing it as a further escalation of the crime. It affirmed that it is pursuing these violations with international bodies to hold the perpetrators accountable and reiterated its call for international protection for the Palestinian people. (February 9, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemned the approval by the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs in the occupying state of a draft law to rename the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria.” The ministry described this move as a dangerous escalation of Israel’s illegal unilateral measures and a prelude to the full annexation of the West Bank. (February 9, 2025)
• The National Library of Palestine, alongside the Minister of Culture, denounced the Israeli occupation forces’ assault on the Scientific Library in Jerusalem’s Old City. They affirmed that such actions are part of a systematic policy aimed at dismantling the Palestinian cultural and educational infrastructure. ( February 11, 2025)
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates called on the UN Security Council to break its paralysis and take urgent action to halt settlement expansion, home demolitions, and annexation. The ministry condemned Israel’s unilateral and illegal measures, including the construction of a new settlement on the lands of Battir in Bethlehem, the building of a colonial road in the village of Yasuf, east of Salfit, and the seizure of approximately 720 dunums for these projects. It also denounced the legalization of so-called “random” colonial outposts, warning that such actions further isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings and fragment the occupied West Bank. (February 11, 2025)
• The Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission revealed alarming steps by the occupying state to expand settlements, including the construction of “Nahal Helets” on Battir land in Bethlehem. This project, starting with 120 dunums and expanding to 600 dunums, threatens to sever Bethlehem from Jerusalem under the “Greater Jerusalem” plan. Additionally, the occupation issued six military orders allocating 16,200 dunums in Salfit, Ramallah, Jericho, and Tubas for settler use. The Commission warned that these actions aim to legitimize 70 new colonial outposts and further entrench Israeli control. (February 11, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Health has called for the immediate release of Dr Husam Abu Safiya and all medical personnel detained in Israeli prisons, highlighting that they have been subjected to repressive and brutal treatment. (February 12, 202)
• The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities condemned an Israeli conference titled “Archaeology and Site Conservation of Judea and Samaria”, organised with the participation of the so-called Civil Administration and the Israeli Antiquities Authority, alongside international experts. The ministry denounced the event as an attempt to erase Palestinian identity and replace original place names with settlement designations, in violation of international law and bilateral agreements. (February 13, 2025)

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

• The Israeli Knesset’s Cabinet Committee for Legislation has approved, in its preliminary reading, a bill to replace the term “West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” in Israeli legislation. MK Simcha Rothman, who sponsored the bill, claimed that the change reflects the Jewish people’s historical right to the land and corrects a historical distortion. (February 9, 2025)
• Former Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir commented on the return of Gazans to their lands near Nahal Oz, saying: “Instead of shooting everyone, only warning shots are being fired, which do not actually bother them.” He also described the comparison between Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners released in poor health as “insane.” (February 9, 2025)
• After returning from the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised a proposal from President Donald Trump for US control of Gaza and the displacement of its population to other countries in the region  as “revolutionary,” and “ creative”, asserting that the US President is very determined to implement it. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on to present US President Donald Trump’s plan to the cabinet for approval. (February 10, 2025)
• MK Yuli Yoel Edelstein, Chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, urged government ministries and agencies to enforce the Knesset’s decision to suspend UNRWA activities, declaring: “We are determined to see the law implemented and UNRWA consigned to the dustbin of history.” (February 10,2025)
• Following Hamas’s announcement that it would not release the hostages because of Israeli non-compliance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he had instructed the IDF to amass forces in and around the Gaza Strip. He added that the Cabinet unanimously decided to end the ceasefire if Hamas did not return the hostages by Saturday noon. (February 11, 2025)

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

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strongly rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks on the displacement of the Palestinian people, condemning them as an attempt to conceal ongoing crimes in Gaza, particularly ethnic cleansing. Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, along with the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab Parliament, and the Muslim World League, issued statements denouncing Netanyahu’s remarks and affirming their firm rejection of any violation of Palestinian rights and Saudi sovereignty. (February 8-9, 2025)
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should find ways to compensate for the $100 billion in damages he has caused to Gaza, rather than seeking ways to displace Gaza’s people from their land. Erdogan asserted that no one has the right to expel them. (February 10, 2025)
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has condemned President Donald Trump’s proposal for U.S. control over Gaza, calling it a “scandal”. Scholz stated that “The relocation of populations is unacceptable and against international law.” (February 10,2025)
• UNICEF has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence, particularly in Jenin, highlighting the increased use of explosive weapons, airstrikes, and demolitions in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas Governorates, especially in refugee camps. These actions have severely damaged infrastructure, disrupting water and electricity supplies, and interrupted education for students in nearly 100 schools. Many children in the affected areas urgently require mental health and psychosocial support. UNICEF condemns all acts of violence against children and calls for the immediate cessation of armed activity across the occupied West Bank. (February 10, 2025)
• S. President Donald Trump has warned that if all Israeli hostages are not returned from the Gaza Strip by 12 o’clock on Saturday, February 15, he will “let hell break out”. Trump also indicated that he would call for an end to the ceasefire but would leave the decision to Israel. (February 11, 2025)
• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has reported that Israel’s ongoing operations in the occupied West Bank have displaced 40,000 Palestinians, highlighting the escalating pace of forced displacement, particularly in the northern West Bank. (February 10. 2025)
• The French Consulate in Jerusalem condemned the Israeli police raid on the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem and the arrest of its directors, Ahmed and Mahmoud Muna. The Consulate noted that these actions violated freedom of expression and basic democratic values, confirming its attendance at their trial and expressing hopes for their immediate release. (February 10, 2025)
• France has expressed concern over the many civilian casualties – particularly children – and the people displaced as a result of the Israeli operations under way in the north of the West Bank, noting that the military’s use of force in the area is highly concerning. France emphasised that children must not be targeted under any circumstances. (February 10, 2025)
• Sixteen American human rights experts, including current and former members of UN bodies, have denounced S. President Donald Trump’s administration for its policies towards Palestine, particularly the halt in funding for UNRWA, calling it a move towards “ethnic cleansing of occupied Palestinian territory”. They labelled these policies a betrayal of American international obligations, undermining human rights and the rule of law, and urged Congress and the Administration to end these violations. (February 10, 2025)
• During a visit to Palestine and Israel, a delegation from the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee, reaffirmed support for the two-state solution as the only path to lasting peace. The delegation stressed the need to enhance ceasefire efforts, strengthen EU security missions, including the European Union Police Mission and the Rafah Border Assistance Mission, and enable the Palestinian Authority to govern a reformed Gaza while ensuring Israel’s security. (February 10, 2025)
• Egypt urged an international approach to address regional instability caused by Israel’s occupation and aggression against Gaza, stressing the need to uphold Palestinian rights. It called for a unified political vision to end historical injustices suffered by the Palestinian people, secure self-determination, and ensure refugee return. Egypt also announced its intention to propose a comprehensive plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, aligning with international legitimacy. (February 10-11, 2025)
• Saudi Arabia condemned Israeli calls for the displacement of Palestinians, emphasizing the centrality of the Palestinian cause, and reaffirming its commitment to the two-state solution as key to peace. Tunisia echoed this, urging a global stand against forced displacement plans. Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam denounced any relocation of Gaza’s population as morally, politically, and legally unacceptable and reprehensible, insisting on the two-state framework. (February 11, 2025)
• French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly displace Gazans, stating, “The right answer is not a real estate operation, this is a political operation.” He affirmed Palestinians’ right to remain in their homelands and noted Jordan and Egypt’s refusal to accept large numbers of Gazan refugees. (February 11, 2025)
• UN experts denounced Trump’s threats to “take over” Gaza and forcibly remove its population, calling them manifestly illegal under international law. They urged the US to back a lasting ceasefire, resume UNRWA funding, compensate Palestinians for damage resulting from US weapons, pressure Israel to fund reconstruction and provide reparation, pursue accountability, and meaningfully support Palestinian statehood. (February 11, 2025)
• The Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) reiterated support for Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution. They called for UNRWA’s continued role, urgent reconstruction in Gaza, and meaningful dialogue to end the conflict under UN resolutions. (February 12, 2025)
• In a phone call, Egyptian President El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II stressed the need to implement the ceasefire and begin Gaza’s reconstruction, rejecting any forced displacement of Palestinians. They also urged an end to Israeli violations in the West Bank. (February 13, 2025)
• White House Press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has stated that while  the Jordanian King Abdullah II opposed relocating Palestinians from Gaza, Trump remains committed to relocating Gazans to neighbouring countries, including Jordan. ( February 12, 2025)
• Al-Azhar Al-Sharif called for international rejection of forced displacement, backing Egyptian and Arab efforts to rebuild Gaza. Arab Parliament President Mohammed Elimahi echoed this, rejecting displacement in Gaza and the West Bank. (February 12-13, 2025)
• Two-thirds of House Democrats urged Trump to retract his “dangerous” comments on taking control of Gaza, warning that such actions would be morally indefensible, violate the Geneva Convention, and undermine peace efforts. (February 13, 2025)
• German Parliamentary State Minister Niels Annen reaffirmed that Gaza is an essential part of a future Palestinian state and that decisions on Gaza must be Palestinian. He also urged Israel to evacuate unauthorised settlers in the West Bank. (February 13, 2025)
• The US Department of the Treasury announced the inclusion of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan on its sanctions list under President Trump’s executive order on the International Criminal Court. (February 13, 2025)
• Israeli forces raided the UNRWA Arroub Camp Health Centre near Bethlehem, using it as a temporary detention site. UNRWA condemned this as a further example of the blatant disregard for United Nations facilities, which are protected under international law. The agency also noted that, since 30 January, new Knesset laws have prevented it from engaging with Israeli authorities, hindering its ability to report and address such incidents in real-time. (February 13, 2025)
• Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Turkish President Erdoğan reaffirmed support for Palestine, emphasising that a two-state solution is the only solution. Erdoğan pledged Turkey’s cooperation with Indonesia in Palestine’s reconstruction, stressing that Palestinian independence and sovereignty must not be delayed. (February 14, 2025)
• Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, insisted that Palestinians must remain on their land, stating: “No deportations, and this is one of the fundamental points.” He reaffirmed the Vatican’s long-standing support for a two-state solution. (February 14, 2025)
• In a joint statement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Non-Aligned Movement rejected forced displacement in Gaza and called for an immediate halt to Israel’s aggression in the West Bank. They stressed the full implementation of UNSC Resolution 2735 and called for a “Palestinian, Gazan Riviera” within an independent State of Palestine. (February 15, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• The Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions strongly condemned and rejected statements by U.S. President Donald Trump advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan, and elsewhere. It deemed these remarks a blatant violation of international law and an attempt to erase the Palestinian cause. The network also called for Israeli leaders to be held accountable for war crimes and genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. (February 10, 2025)
• DAWN and the International Law Center urged the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) to include Israel Bonds and its U.S. underwriter, Development Corporation for Israel (DCI), in her report on corporate involvement in international crimes. They also called on the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) to add them to the “settlement blacklist.” database. Their report highlighted that DCI/Israel Bonds raised over $53 billion to fund illegal settlement activities, war crimes, and violations in Gaza. The report warned that the UN database’s lack of updates since 2023 hinders efforts to hold corporations accountable. (February 10, 2025)
• The Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) released a fact sheet, “Intensifying Ethnic Cleansing in the West Bank,” documenting the establishment of 51 new settlement outposts in 2024 and a rise in settlers to 770,000. It reported 16,600 incidents of assaults by occupation forces and settlers, including armed attacks and home arson, leading to 4,253 Palestinians displaced. The UAWC called for an arms embargo on Israel and divestment from Israeli companies. (February 10, 2025)
• AJP Action urged the Trump administration and Congress to hold Israeli authorities accountable for the arbitrary detention of Shaden Qous, an Afro-Palestinian American activist and artist, accused of “incitement” over social media posts. AJP Action stated that her case reflects a broader pattern of systematic repression against Palestinians. (February 11, 2025)
• American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s alleged plans to ethnically cleanse Palestinians and annex their land for the United States. AMP denounced the plan as a war crime and a continuation of the ethnic cleansing and settler colonialism that began with the Nakba in 1948. ( February 11, 2025)
• Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights denounced Israeli abuses against Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and other Palestinian detainees, demanding their immediate release, particularly medical staff. It called on the international community to uphold its moral and legal responsibilities regarding the ongoing torture of Palestinian prisoners. (February 11, 2025)

• Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, MedGlobal, and Children Not Numbers issued an urgent appeal for the immediate release of unlawfully detained medical personnel. They noted that since October 2023, Israel has detained hundreds of Gaza’s healthcare workers without charge, further crippling the already devastated healthcare system. (February 12, 2025)
• The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that Israeli occupation forces continue mass arrests and field interrogations in the northern West Bank as part of systematic repression. It documented 380 arrests in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas, alongside extrajudicial executions, targeted assassinations, forced displacement, hostage-taking of civilians, and the destruction of infrastructure. (February 13, 2025)
• The Arab Trade Union Confederation reaffirmed that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state and strongly condemned calls for its population’s displacement, calling it a flagrant violation of international law and Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. (February 13, 2025)
• J Street welcomed a letter signed by 145 U.S. House Representatives condemning President Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza. The organisation’s president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, described it as a strong rejection of what he called “Trump’s toxic ‘concept of a plan’ for Gaza,” stressing that most American Jews and Israel supporters see it as a violation of democratic values. (February 13, 2025)
• An investigation by the research group Profundo, published by Dutch NGOs BankTrack and PAX, revealed that seven investment banks underwrote $19.4 billion in Israeli government bonds between October 2023 and January 2025 to finance the war on Gaza. Goldman Sachs was the largest underwriter ($7 billion), followed by Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Citi, Barclays, and JPMorgan Chase. The report warned that these banks could face legal liability for complicity in genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity under international and national law. (February 14, 2025)

Research and academic studies (in Arabic and English):

• Emerald Insight has published a paper by Dalal Iriqat, Rula Alousi, and Dima Alburai, with contributions from other researchers, titled “Educide Amid Conflict: The Struggle of the Palestinian Education System” (Vol. 2, No. 1). The study highlights the systematic destruction of educational infrastructure in Gaza -termed “educide”- arguing that this deliberate dismantling of Gaza’s institutions aims to erase Palestinian culture, identity, and resilience. (2025)
• Former UK Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption has described Israel’s assault on Gaza as “grossly disproportionate,” stating that there is “at least an arguable case” that it constitutes genocide. In his new book, “The Challenges of Democracy: And the Rule of Law,” he warns of growing threats to freedom of expression, particularly the suppression of pro-Palestinian voices in parts of Europe.

Opinion Pieces and features

• The Guardian published an op-ed by Mark Smith titled: “I saw illegality and complicity with war crimes. That’s why I quit the UK Foreign Office.” ( February 9, 2025)
• The Guardian published an op-ed by Kenneth Roth titled: “Trump’s sanctions against the ICC are disgraceful.”( February 9, 2025)
• CounterPunchPlus published an article by Stan Cox titled, “Ravaging the Soils of Gaza; Genocide meets Ecocide” (February 9, 2025)
• Haaretz published an analytical article by Aluf Benn titled: “The Demon of Ethnic Cleansing Has Been Let Out of the Bottle in Israel.” ( February 9, 2025)
• Counter Punch published an article by Kathy Kelly titled: “Resisting Riviera of the Middle East.” ( February 10, 2025)
• Counter Punch published an article by Jeff Halper titled: “The End Game: Normalisation.” ( February 10, 2025)
• The Guardian published an op-ed by Omar Barghoiti titled: ”To stop Trump’s Gaza plans, Palestinians need solidarity and support.” ( February 10, 2025)
• The New York Times published an opinion piece by Thomas L. Friedman titled: “What’s Most Frightening About Trump’s Gaza Ravings.” (February 11, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an opinion piece by Mouin Rabbani titled: “The Gaza ceasefire may be falling apart. The real culprit is Israel.” (February 11, 2025)
• Mada published an article by Parastou Hassouri titled: “What Trump does when he speaks of emptying Gaza”(February 11, 2025)
• Al Jazeera published an opinion piece by Xavier Abu Eid titled: “How Trump took an Israeli idea and presented it as his own.” (February 12, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an opinion piece by Qassem Muaddi titled: “Israel’s offensive in the West Bank is the second act of the Gaza genocide.”(February 12, 2025)
• The Nation published an article by Francesca Albanese titled: “The Hague Group Must Become a Global Initiative.”(February 12, 2025)
• Foreign Policy in Focus published an article by John Feffer titled: “TRUMP TO GAZA: WE WILL REPLACE YOU. The U.S. president is reviving old-style colonialism.” (February 12, 2025)
• Counter Punch published an article by Alfred de Zayas titled: “Genocide Files: From Pequots to Palestinians, From “Manifest Destiny” to Gaza Riviera.”(February 13, 2025)

Human rights events and activities:

• 400 high-profile writers, academics, actors, activists, and journalists have addressed a letter to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP, condemning an Israeli raid on the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem and the arrest of its owners, Mahmoud and Ahmad Muna. The signatories denounced the attack as part of Israel’s campaign to erase Palestinian culture and urged the UK government and international organisations to pressure Israel to drop all charges and cease its assaults on the bookshop. (February 12, 2025)
• More than 350 rabbis, along with Jewish creatives and activists, have signed an advertisement in the New York Times condemning Donald Trump’s proposal for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza. The ad declared: “Trump has called for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza. Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing!” Campaign director Cody Edgerly affirmed: “Our message to Palestinians is that you are not alone.. and we are committed to fighting with every breath we have to stop ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”(February 13, 2025)

Upcoming human rights opportunities and events

• The Institute for Palestine Studies and The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development have announced an event titled “Executions and Mass Graves in Tantura and al-Dawayima in 1948: A Two-Part Screening and Discussion”. The event will take place on 22 February 2025, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (EST) at the Jerusalem Fund Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and will also be available via Zoom. To register for personal attendance, To register for virtual attendance, here.