PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue.269

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

23 Feb. – 1 March 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

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

 Translation: Mai Shaheen and Mays Abuatwan

Editing: Haneen Shadeed

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.

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

• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (MOFAE) has warned against the deployment of heavy tanks by the Israeli army near the city of Jenin in the West Bank, characterising it as an escalation in aggression and crimes against the Palestinian people. The Ministry’s warnings were directed at the Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s boastful statements promising the Israeli army would prevent the return of displaced citizens of Jenin from returning to their homes. MOFAE condemned Katz’s statements, the deployment of tanks and intimidation of defenseless Palestinian civilians as a blatant attempt to enforce a policy of genocide and displacement against an unarmed population. (February 23, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has called for an international investigation into Israeli crimes against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. The Ministry expressed its grave concern about the increased number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, particularly from the Gaza Strip, who died in Israeli custody. Being subject to systematic torture in Israeli prisons, the Ministry revealed that 59 of those detainees had died, while this number only reflects those that were identified. (February 24, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has warned against Israel’s imposed restrictions on worshippers grossly limiting their access to Al-Aqsa Mosque and its vicinity in Jerusalem ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. The Ministry rebuked these actions as a blatant violation of Palestinians’ right to freedom of worship and unrestricted access to religious sites, and emphasised that the restrictions are part of Israel’s attempt to alter the historical, legal and political status quo in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). The Ministry called for urgent international intervention to protect Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine and ensure Palestinians’ rights to religious freedom. (February 26, 2025)
• The Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club has declared the martyrdom of Palestinian detainee Raafat Adnan Abu Fanouna (34 years old) from the Gaza Strip. The Commission and Prisoners’ Club collectively held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for his death and made international calls to take concrete action to hold the occupation’s leaders accountable for the war crimes committed incessantly against the Palestinian people, and impose sanctions on Israel to render it a pariah state. (February 26, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has raised the alarm on the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) seizure of lands in the town of Tammun near Tubas, as well as areas in the Governorate of Nablus. The Ministry also denounced the escalating violent settler attacks against Palestinians and their properties, and revealed that the Israeli government is accelerating land seizures, colonial expansion and ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem and Area C. The Ministry warned that Israel’s actions are a blatant violation of relevant UN resolutions, and called on the international community to impose sanctions on the occupation to halt settlement expansion and settler terrorism. (February 28, 2025)
• During a UN Security Council briefing, Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the UN, Riyadh Mansour, stressed that the only way forward would be through preserving the ceasefire in the Strip under UN Council resolution 2735, and ending Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank. He posited that Israel has a long-lived history of warring against his people falsely promising a decisive solution, adding that “Israel’s plan is clear in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank – get rid of the Palestinian demography to cease Palestinian geography.” (February 25, 2025)Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Varsen Aghabekian Shaheen, reiterated categorical rejection for US President Trump’s idea to turn Gaza into “a swanky riviera.” Shaheen explained that Trumps idea aims to entirely displace its inhabitants and transform it into a riviera for “world-people”. Unless it is for Gazans themselves to live in, Shaheen calls Trump’s idea unacceptable, stating “Let it become a riviera…but for its people, who have been suffering for such a long time and deserve that their place becomes a riviera rather than a besieged place that smells of death.” (February 28, 2025)
• The State of Palestine has submitted its written pleadings to the International Court of Justice as part of its proceedings for seeking a legal advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations concerning the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations, and third-party states. Palestine affirmed that the occupying power is obligated not to obstruct the work of the United Nations and other international and UN organizations in providing essential services to the Palestinian people and enabling them to exercise their right to self-determination. (February 28, 2025)

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

• A statement issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has revealed that it intends to delay the release of Palestinian prisoners. The Office justified its statement under the guise that Hamas committed repeated violations, particularly in performing “ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and [cynically exploited] our hostages for propaganda purposes.” (February 23, 2025)
• Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has admitted that his Religious Zionism party holds credit for the Israeli government’s decision to delay the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ongoing hostage release-ceasefire deal. Smotrich stated “Every day, I am convinced that we acted correctly” in not leaving the government upon its approval of the ceasefire deal. (February 24, 2025)
• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has imposed sanctions on Palestinian prisoners and their families who are citizens and residents of Israel and receive funding from the Palestinian Authority (PA). Following the sanction, IOF raided the homes of the prisoners affected and confiscated cash and assets worth hundreds of thousands of Israeli shekels. Adding to said sanctions, Israel also reportedly froze 470 million shekels of funds allocated to the PA. Katz claimed that Israel would not allow the PA to purportedly “reward terrorists for killing and harming Israeli citizens,” alleging the funds allocated to Palestinian prisoners and their families as “blood money [that] fuels terrorism.” (February 25, 2025)
• Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel has banned European Parliament member Rima Hassan from entering the occupied Palestinian territories, citing her encouraging support for boycotting and imposing sanctions on Israel, and supporting the armed struggle against it. The European Union’s (EU) mission to the Palestinians revealed that Israel also previously barreed Lynn Boylan, head of a five-member EU delegation, without any explanation. Boylan’s ban led the delegation to cancel their trip, as Boylan referred to Israel as a “rogue state” and called on Europe to hold it accountable. (February 24, 2025)
• In a speech given at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, has announced his proposal that Egypt should temporarily rule the Gaza Strip after the war ends. The proposal titled, “the Egyption Solution,” stipulates that Egypt assume administrative control of the Gaza Strip for up to 15 years in exchange for wavering Egypt’s foreign debt worth $155 billion. (February 26, 2025)
• Knesset member Dan Illouz, lawmaker and member of the Likud Party, has introduced the “Jerusalem Metropolitan Bill” aimed at annexing parts of the West Bank and several municipalities into Jerusalem as part of the so-called new “Jerusalem Metropolis”, where Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration would prevail. The proposal seeks to mandate the government to expand residential and industrial construction in the greater Jerusalem area and encourage young Israelis to relocate there. Illouz proudly stated, “When I led efforts to shut down UNRWA, we faced immense international pressure – but we stood firm, the law passed, and the threats amounted to nothing. The lesson is clear: when Israel stands strong, it wins. The same must happen with our sovereignty over Judea and Samaria [the West Bank] – this is our moment to act.” (February 27, 2025)

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

• Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, has affirmed that the only path to stability in the Middle East is through the establishment of a Palestinian State within the pre-1967 borders including Gaza. He emphasised that ideas aimed at oppressing the Palestinians or circumventing the two-State solution will only prolong the conflict, deepen hatred and increase suffering in the region. Aboul Gheit outrightly rejected any plans to displace the Palestinians, and highlighted the Palestinian cause as one that should not only be challenged by the Palestinians alone, but is a “central cause to Arabs, both peoples and governments.” (February 13-23, 2025)
• Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the oPt, revealed that, “Israel has caused losses in Gaza equivalent to 15 times its “pre-war” economy.” Albanese warned that the West Bank was heading in the same direction, as the UN and World Bank had never seen such unprecedented losses as that rendered from the war on Gaza. (February 23, 2025)
• Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA), has reported that Humanitarian workers are seizing every opportunity following the ceasefire to scale up lifesaving support to Palestinians in Gaza. He added that over 20,000 trucks of aid were delivered in just one month, including food for almost 2 million inhabitants. (February 23, 2025)
• During the opening ceremony of its Permanent Committees Sitting, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has reiterated the need to end the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. PAP, as legislative body of the African Union, reiterated the principle of a two-state solution as the only viable solution to the ‘conflict’, and emphasized the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and geographically contiguous Palestinian state- based on the 04 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international law. (February 24, 2025)
• Following Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s plans to deploy tanks into the Palestinian city of Jenin -a first in two decades- UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has expressed grave concerns over the escalating violence and attacks by the IOF in the occupied West Bank and its calls for annexation. In his speech at the Human Rights Council’s 58th session, Guterres revealed “In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, violations of human rights have skyrocketed since the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7 and the intolerable levels of death and destruction in Gaza.” (February 24, 2025)
• In the opening session of the 58th Human Rights Council session in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has warned that “the international system is undergoing a tectonic transformation” and human rights are under unprecedented strain. He added that global consensus on human rights is eroding, and indicated the rampant attempts to ignore, undermine and redefine these rights. Türk renewed his calls for an independent investigation into the grave violations of international law committed by Israel in the course of its attacks across Gaza, and by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. (February 24, 2025)
• During the 58th session for the UN Human Rights Council, Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti, urged imposing continued pressure on Israeli officials on charges of genocide and committing abuse against Palestinians. Al-Nafti added, “What we are observing today of the beginning of the formation of a human society looking forward to a more just world and capable of action, in light of the inability of the traditional international community to fully play its role, indicates a new awareness of the values ​​of justice and dignity.” (February 25, 2025)
• In open defiance to the ICC and it’s issued arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German election winner Friedrich Merz has vowed the Israeli leader that he would ensure his visit to Germany would be without arrest. The ICC has publicy denounced Merz’s statement. (February 24, 2025)
• The White House goes on record to endorse the Israeli government’s decision to delay the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners. Under the pretense that Hamas has treated hostages barbarically, White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes has justified the Israeli government’s decision as “an appropriate response.” Hughes confirmed US President Donald Trump’s support of Israel in any course of action it takes against Hamas. (February 23, 2025)
• Despite the steady flow of aid into the Strip, UN Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, has reported the continued suffering of children in Gaza due to the severe cold, revealing that six children had died recently due to the severe weather conditions, bringing the total number of cold-related child deaths to 15. Dujarric also highlighted the volatility of the security situation in the West Bank; as Israeli military operations in the north wreak further casualties, mass displacement and destruction of essential infrastructure, invoking bulldozers on Palestinians, use of fire, detentions and disruption to electricity and water lines, and school closures. (February 25, 2025)
• During a UN Security Council meeting, Sigrid Kaag, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim -in observing the ceasefire and the end of its first of three phases- asserted that it may be “the last chance” to achieve a two-State solution — the creation of independent Israel and Palestine coexisting peacefully side by side. She welcomed the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, condemned Hamas’ public display of Israeli hostages, and voiced concern over the ill treatment and humiliation experienced by the 1,135 released Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The UN official stressed that Gaza must remain “an integral part of the future Palestinian state,” to be unified with the West Bank including East Jerusalem. She called on the Security Council to support full realisation of the ceasefire deal, urgent de-escalation in the West Bank, and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza worth $53 billion. (February 25, 2025)
• The UN Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat has published a “Compilation of UN Resolutions and Decisions on Question of Palestine Adopted in 2024”. (February 21, 2025)
• A delegation of EU parliament members canceled its trip to Jerusalem and Ramallah after Israel barred two lawmakers and two staffers from entering Palestine. The Interior Ministry said that it had denied entry to French EU parliament member Rima Hassan over her support for boycotts against Israel, and the delegation’s. EU parliament member Lynn Boylan was also barred entry, along with two other EU staffers accompanying Hassan and Boylan. (February 25, 2025)
• Following a visit to Al Aqsa compound and meeting with the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, EU Heads of Mission recalled the significance of the Palestinian Islamic and Christian holy sites and made a strong call for upholding the status quo, in line with previous understandings. It emphasised worshippers rights to access their holy sites freely, stressing Jordan’s special role with respect to upholding the status quo. (February 26, 2025)
• Following confirmation of his death due to an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a decision to withdraw the arrest warrant of and terminate proceedings against Mr Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (‘Deif’), commander of the martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades- the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). (February 26, 2025)
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, emphasised the urgency of maintaining the ceasefire in the oPt, and full implementation of each phase in good faith. Türk highlighted the ceasefire as an important foundation to build on and create a path toward peace, “where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side in equal dignity and rights, and the Palestinian people determine their own future.” (February 26, 2025)
• During an emergency session held by the Arab Parliament under the slogan “Reconstructing Gaza is a duty…and displacing its people is a crime,” President the Parliament, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi, stressed the Parliament’s outright rejection of any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause or impose unjust resolutions. He named  the displacement of the Palestinian people as a crime against humanity and called for international efforts to reconstruct the Gaza Strip and provide basic necessities in a manner that ensures its inhabitants remained on their land. Al-Yamahi also called for the establishment of an Arab fund that would support Arab States pressured by the US Administration to accept the displacement of Palestinians, and support their loyalty to the Palestinian cause in the face of such pressure. (February 26, 2025)
• France has voiced deep concern over the intensification of Israeli military operations in the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas camps in the northern West Bank, rendering numerous civilian casualties. It called on the Israeli authorities to exercise restraint in the use of force and ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law. France renounced the displacement of more than 40,000 Palestinians as forcible displacement in violation of international law. It urged Israeli authorities to authorise the swift return of displaced Palestinian civilians to their homes. (February 26, 2025)
• Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has warned that the West Bank is undergoing an alarming spillover of the Gaza war. Since the IOF began its operation 5 weeks ago, Lazzarini revealed that more than 50 people, including children were killed, while destruction of public infrastructure, bulldozing roads and access restrictions were rampant. He raised alarms on what the Israeli operation had wreaked, including the displacement of nearly 40,000 people from their homes, refugee camps were in ruin, more than 5,000 children were deprived of education, healthcare was rendered inaccessible and families were cut off from water, electricity and other basic services. (February 26, 2025)
• During a meeting of the Human Rights Council, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that accountability and justice for violations is crucial to ensure any attempts at a peaceful future. Türk pointed out that the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have been suffocating for more than 57 years under Israeli occupation and deprived of their most basic human rights, from the right to self-determination, to freedom of movement, to an adequate standard of living. He added that Israeli restrictions on Gaza have created a humanitarian catastrophe, while Israel has escalated the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force against Palestinians, destroying refugee camps, restricting movement, and displacing tens of thousands in the West Bank. (February 26, 2025)
• In a telephone call with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Egyption Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates Badr Abdelattty has reiterated    Egypt’s categorical rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Abdelatty explained to his Russian counterpart Egypt’s reconstruction plan for Gaza, stipulating that Palestinians remain on their land. He also highlighted Egypt’s efforts  to secure stable and lasting ceasefire in the Strip. (February 27, 2025)
• Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has announced the end of the 5-day polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip. Thanks to the ceasefire, Ghebreyesus noted that health workers were able to reach more children than previous vaccination rounds. Ghebreysus explained that “ending polio hinges on fully vaccinating every last child and ensuring uninterrupted access to safe water,” while emphasising that lasting peace is the real medicine the children of Gaza need. (February 27, 2025)
• Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the oPt, Ajith Sunghay, stated that the West Bank is already in a state of emergency, warning of the IOF’s escalation and its use of warfare methods, including deployment of heavy weaponry such as fighter jets, tanks, and shoulder-fired missiles, rendering the forced displacement of 40,000 inhabitants from the refugee camps of Tulkarem, Jenin and Tubas. He also highlighted settler violence and the severe restrictions on movement, noting that about 149 new metal barriers or checkpoints have been established since October 7, 2023. (February 27, 2025)
• UN Special Rapporteur on the oPt, Francesca Albanese, has heavily criticized the video released by former US President Donald Trump about Gaza, calling it “disgusting” She accused the Trump administration of engaging in “deliberate psychological warfare” against Gaza. Albanese also revealed that she has faced repeated threats over the past months due to her opposition to the war and her accusation that Israel is committing genocide. She condemned what she described as “Israel’s intimidation of war opponents.” (February 27, 2025)
• Qatar has submitted a written memorandum to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding its request for an advisory opinion on UN General Assembly resolution 79/232 on December 19, 2024 titled, Request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States.” Qatar stressed Israel’ duty to allow the UN and other international organizations, particularly UNRWA to operate in Israel and the oPt. (February 28, 2025)
• The European Union has expressed deep concern over the consequences of the ongoing Israeli military operation in refugee camps in the northern West Bank. It called on Israel to comply with international humanitarian law, ensure the protection of civilians, and allow displaced persons to return. The EU also reiterated its condemnation of settlement expansion, and demolition of buildings, including those funded by the EU. Additionally, it voiced concern over the increase in checkpoints and the tightening of movement restrictions in the West Bank. (March 1, 2025)
• The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has submitted a written statement to the (ICJ) regarding the advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations concerning the presence and activities of the United Nations, international organizations, and third states in the oPt. The OIC reaffirmed its unwavering support for UNRWA, which was established by a resolution of the UN General Assembly to serve Palestinian refugees until a just and lasting solution to their plight is achieved. (March 1, 2025)
• Turkey has submitted a statement to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as part of its proceedings seeking a legal advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations regarding the presence and activities of the UN, other international organizations, and third-party states. The submission emphasized that Israel’s attacks on UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) facilities in the Gaza Strip violate international law and UN conventions. (March 1, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• As the Israeli apartheid regime intensifies its offensive in the West Bank, Al-Haq organistion reiterates its stark call for urgent international intervention. The escalation follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s orders for an “intensive operation” in the West Bank, as part of Israel’s settler colonial intentions to annex de jure the Palestinian land, erase the Palestinian presence and entrench its discriminatory apartheid. The territory, repealing laws altering the Palestinian demographic, ending all settlement activities, returning the forcibly displaced Palestinian population and providing full compensation and restitution to the Palestinians. Al-Haq also highlighted the failure of State Parties to the ICC to arrest Netanyahu, thereby fuelling the continued Israeli aggressions. Al-Haq demands the Court adds further charges against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant including settlement crimes, apartheid and genocide, as well as expedite arrest warrants for other Israeli officials. (February 23, 2025)
• Human Rights Watch has called on EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and EU foreign ministers to condemn Israel’s atrocity crimes and other serious violations of international law during the EU-Israel Association Council meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Samaria. The organisation urged the EU to publicly acknowledge and address Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity, including apartheid and genocide; and to make clear to Sa’ar the repercussions of said crimes, including sanctioning responsible officials and suspending arms sales to Israel. Additionally, Human Rights Watch called on the EU to review Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, following demands from Spain and Ireland to suspend the Agreement due to Israel’s grave abuses. (February 24, 2025)
• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed grave concern with the impact of the ongoing security operations on civilians in the northern occupied West Bank. Due to the ongoing Israeli military raids, thousands of Palestinians had been displaced and the population faced difficulties meeting dire needs such as access to clean water, food, medical care and shelter. The Commission affirmed the need to protect civilians , treat them humanely and protect them from violence. (February 25, 2025)
• The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) has expressed deep concern over the two bills that recently passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset- the NGO Taxation Law and the ICC Law. While the NGO Taxation Law aims to place an 80% tax deduction on foreign countries, the UN and international organisations supporting human rights, the ICC Law  seeks to criminalise any form of cooperation with the ICC. B’Tselem reported that said laws are part of a calculated assault by the government on Israeli civil society, aimed to eliminate human rights groups, including B’Tselem, silence government critics and stop them from fulfilling their mission to defend human rights. B’Tselem has stated that, “these measures are part of a broader pattern of Israeli government initiatives to harm the people living here, abandon them and wipe them out – this time, by silencing those who wish to protect them.” (February 24, 2025)
• The Palestinian Trade Union Federation has denounced intensified Israeli arrest campaigns targeting Palestinian workers, particularly in Jaffa and Tel Aviv, where the number of detainees has reached 546 since the beginning of the year. The Federation called on human rights organisations and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to intervene to halt Israel’s actions, document the, and raise them in international forums. (February 24, 2025)
• Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) has submitted a 172-page communication to the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, requesting an investigation into former U.S officials President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for their accessorial roles in aiding and abetting, as well as intentionally contributing to Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. DAWN’s Executive Director, Sarah Leah Whitson, stated that these officials provided essential military and political support to Israel, enabling the continuation of its actions in Gaza. (February 24, 2025)
• The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has released a field report titled, “An Israeli Tool for Palestinian Land Appropriation: A Field Report on the Accelerating Pastoral Settlement Expasnion in Sebastia, Nablus.” (February 25, 2025)
• Oxfam Ireland CEO, Jim Clarken, has reiterated the call for the European Union to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, advocating for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, access to humanitarian aid, and a just solution for the region. (February 25, 2025)
• Peace Now reported that the Israeli Supreme Planning Council has approved plans to build 1,170 new settlement units in four settlements in the occupied West Bank. The organisation warned that the increased frequency of such approvals normalises and accelerates settlement expansion in an unprecedented manner, calling for an end to the thia policy before it’s too late. (February 24, 2025)
• Amnesty International has strongly criticised Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Berlin, following the ICC’s issued warrants for Netanyahu’s arrest. (February 25, 2025)
• A new report by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) reveals harrowing testimonies of Palestinian medical workers abducted from their workplaces, detained without charges, and subjected to torture, sexual abuse, and medical neglect. At least four have died in custody, while nearly 150 remain incarcerated under inhumane conditions. (February 26, 2025)
• Human Rights Watch has warned that Israel is replicating in the West Bank the violations it committed in Gaza, as Israeli tanks entered the area for the first time in 20 years, amid escalating military operations. The organisation has reported that some Palestinian refugee camps have been rendered “almost uninhabitable.” It further asserted that the mass displacement of Palestinian civilians and the widespread destruction of infrastructure in Gaza had no legal justification. Human Rights Watch further stated that these actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. (February 26, 2025)
• During the panel discussion at the 2025 RightsCon conference, titled “Attacks on Healthcare,” Al-Haq presented its prototype of the Visual Library, a comprehensive digital archive documenting Israeli human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The database includes hundreds of video recordings documented since 2016 by Al-Haq’s field researchers using the Eyewitness app.
• Al-Haq has issued a legal briefing on the 2025 Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention. In the briefing, the organisation presented several recommendations, emphasizing the need for state parties to take responsibility for their legal and ethical obligations, end the Israeli occupation, ensure international accountability for grave violations of international humanitarian law, and strengthen international protection for the Palestinian people. (February 27, 2025)
• Amnesty International has warned of the risk of forced displacement for the community of Shaab al-Batem in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, due to the escalation of state-backed settler attacks, along with home demolitions and settlement expansion. The organisation affirmed that Israel is creating a “coercive environment” that pushes Palestinians to leave their land, constituting a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and amounting to a war crime. (February 27, 2025)
• The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has expressed shock over the appalling health conditions of Palestinian prisoners released in the seventh batch of a prisoner exchange deal. It confirmed that signs of torture and medical neglect reflect systematic crimes in Israeli prisons. The monitor documented severe injuries among the released detainees, including limb amputations and extreme frailty. (March 1, 2025)
• Al Mezan Center reported continued Israeli crimes against Gaza civilians despite the ceasefire, leaving them in dire humanitarian conditions. Displaced residents from Rafah remain unable to return home as Israeli forces persist in destruction. The center urged urgent international action to stop the genocide, support accountability efforts, and halt military aid to Israel. (March 1, 2025)

Research and academic studies (in Arabic and English):

• The Dialogue Social Science Review journal has published a research paper by researcher Syed Nizam Badshah and others, titled “The Effectiveness of International Criminal Law in Context of Resolving Gaza-Israel Conflict.” The paper analyzes the situation in Palestine/Israel, tracing its historical roots, particularly in light of the escalating violence in October 2023, which resulted in civilian casualties and mass displacement in Gaza. It highlights violations of international humanitarian law and raises questions about the effectiveness of the International Criminal Court in holding perpetrators accountable. (2025)
• The RECIMA21 journal has published a research paper by researcher Marcelo Costa Ribeiro and others, titled “Influences on the Global Perception of Human Rights Caused By Impunity for War Crimes in the Gaza Strip.” The article examines the role of international institutions such as the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, highlighting the challenges they face in delivering justice. It also calls for reforms to strengthen accountability and reassess international justice frameworks to better protect human rights in armed conflicts. (2025)

Opinion Pieces and features

• Daily Maverick published an op-ed by Leslie London titled, “Universities must say no to bullying and censorship based on the power of private wealth.” (February 23, 2025)
• Haaretz published an op-ed by Daniel Solomon titled, “ Israeli Doctors Must Condemn the Inhumane Treatment of Hospitalized Palestinian Detainees.” (February 23, 2025)
• Reuters published a report by Chinmay Pathak and Jitesh Chowdhury titled, “Gaza’s garbage crisis.” (February 24, 2025)
• Haaretz published an analytical article by Mordechai Kremnitzer titled, “Israel’s Government Wants to Silence All Criticism, and Will Target Human Rights to Do It.” (February 24, 2025)
• Arab News published an op-ed by Osama Al- Sharif titled, “Netanyahu eyes West Bank as he oscillates on Gaza.” (February 25, 2025)
• Foreign Policy published an article by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla titled, “Israel’s Actions Strike at the Foundations of International Law.” (February 25, 2025)
• Gulf News published an op-ed by Osama Al Sharif titled, “Netanyahu’s new Middle East will not bring stability.” (February 26, 2025)
• Institute for Palestine Studies published an analytical report by Asma Barakat titled, “Canadian Government Sued for Genocide Convention, Charter Rights Violations. Here’s What To Know.” (February 26, 2025)
• As part of its series of articles on ‘Doctors in detention’ in the Gaza Strip, The Guardian published a report by Hoda Osman, Annie Kelly, Farah Jallad and Aseel Mousa — titled, “‘They forced me to stand for hours in the cold, arms raised and shackled’: eight Gaza doctors on their Israeli prison ordeal.” (February 26, 2025)
• The Conversation published an article by Laurent Tessier titled, “The Biblical Inspirations Behind Trump’s Plan for Gaza.” (February 27, 2025)
• Institute for Palestine Studies published an article by Sally Abu Ayyash (in Arabic) titled, “International Double Standards: How Are Palestinian Rights Restricted?.” (February 27, 2025)
• Press TV published an article by David Miller titled, “How UK counter-terror police colluded with Zionists to detain me after Beirut trip.” (February 27, 2025)
• Haaretz published a report by Aaron Rabinowitz tilted, “The People of Israel Are Returning Home’ | Far-right Rally Calls for Israeli Resettlement of Gaza, Palestinian Expulsion.” (February 27, 2025)
• The Guardian published a report by Zeke Hunter-Green, Carmen Aguilar García, Anna Leach,Mark Townsend, Pamela Duncan, and Prina Shah titled, “Seized, settled, let: how Airbnb and Booking.com help Israelis make money from stolen Palestinian land.” (February 27, 2025)
• CounterPunch published an article by Alain Alameddine titled, “The Persecution of Anti- Zionist Jews.” (February 27, 2025)
• Al Jazeera published an op-ed by Belén Fernández titled, “On a pause from genocide, Israel turns its focus to ethnic cleansing.” ( February 28, 2025)
• EJIL:Talk! published an article by Dr Mais Qandeel titled, “Territorial Annexation of Palestine: Illegality, Third States Obligations and the ICJ’s 2024 Advisory Opinion” (February 28, 2025)

Human rights conferences and events

• The International Conference Against the Forced Displacement of the Population of Occupied Palestine, held in Cairo, Egypt, concluded its proceedings. Participants condemned all calls for the forced displacement of Gaza’s population and emphasized the importance of holding perpetrators of crimes against the Palestinian people accountable. They also stressed the need to support urgent and sustainable humanitarian response efforts for the residents of Gaza. (February 27, 2025)
• The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) concluded its “Naming Genocide: The Global Responsibility for Gaza” conference. (February 28, 2025)
• The Palestine Chronicle released a podcast featuring an interview with UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. The discussion covered important issues such as Gaza, Western complicity, and the crumbling global legal order, addressing key questions like: Has international law failed in Gaza? What does Western complicity mean for Palestinians? Is the UN powerless in the face of genocide? Eight key takeaways from the interview were also published. (February 28, 2025)