PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue.276

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

13 – 19 April 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

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

Translation: Asma Louzon and Mai Shaheen

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 heavily criticised the brutal bombing of Al-Ahli (Arab) Baptist Hospital in Gaza City by the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) as being one of the most horrific manifestations of genocide and forced displacement. MOFAE reported that the bombing rendered the complete destruction of the Hospital, alongside the forced evacuation of patients and the wounded. The Ministry lays blame on the international community’s complicity and alarming inaction, noting that the occupation deliberately destroyed (34) hospitals in the Gaza Strip, in parallel with perpetuating an ongoing policy of starvation, thirst, and denial of access to medicine. Similarly, The Supreme Presidential Committee for the Follow-up of Churches Affairs in Palestine strongly condemned the targeting of the only Christian hospital in the Gaza Strip, and described it as “a direct insult to the Christians in Palestine and worldwide.” (April 13, 2025)
• Samah Hamad, Chairman of the Palestinian Government Emergency Operations Room in the Southern Palestinian Governorates, has warned of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression. In light of Israel’s complete closure of crossings and its block on the entry of relief supplies, Hamad pointed out the near exhaustion of 90% of essential supplies, including food, water, fuel, and medicine. (April 13, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has condemned the arbitrary measures imposed by the Israeli occupation denying the entry of thousands of Christian citizens from the West Bank to Jerusalem to participate in Palm Sunday celebrations. The Ministry also denounced the escalating settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque with the participation of Knesset members and rabbis. (April 13–14, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his son’s unjustified attacks and offensive remarks against French President Emmanuel Macron. The attack against Macron materialised in response to his recent statements intending to recognise the State of Palestine. The Ministry considered the Netanyahus’ actions to be strong evidence of Israel’s blatant disregard for international law and a reflection of Israeli policy rooted in genocide and annexation. The Palestinian MOFAE affirmed that such colonial positions must compel France and the European Union (EU) to expedite the recognition for the State of Palestine, as an essential move to preserve the two-state solution. (April 12-14, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has criticised the global silence, the bombardment and burning of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip as a moral and legal failure. The Ministry also condemned statements made by the extremist Israeli Foreign Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, calling them an official acknowledgment of his plans to judaize Jerusalem and its holy sites. (April 17, 2025)

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

• Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Netanyahu, publicly rebuked the President, calling for the independence of several French-owned territories. Prime Minister Netanyahu commended his son for his remarks, calling him “a true Zionist…who is entitled to his personal opinion.” Netanyahu called President Macron “gravely mistaken” for recognising Palestine as a state while accusing him of promoting the destruction of Israel. (April 11–13, 2025)
• Defence Minister Israel Katz has admitted that Israel has no intentions in allowing the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip until a “civilian” mechanism is established to bypass Hamas. Katz explained that Israel’s policy in Gaza includes, “stopping humanitarian aid, which undermines Hamas’s [sic] control over the population, and creating an infrastructure for the distribution [of aid] through civilian companies later on.” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir echoed the sentiment, vowing to do everything in his power to prevent the flow of aid into Gaza. Ben-Gvir stated, “As long as our hostages are dying in the tunnels, there is no reason for a gram of food or aid to enter Gaza.” (April 16 , 2025)

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

• The European Union (EU) has condemned the breakdown of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip by the IOF and the killing of 15 of its humanitarian aid workers on March 23 2025. The EU stressed that those responsible for this serious and unacceptable incident must be held accountable and warned that food supplies brought in during the ceasefire are being exhausted. The EU raised the alarm on the unacceptable rise in the number of civilian casualties and demanded Israel lift the blockade on Gaza to allow the flow of humanitarian aid into and throughout the Strip- in accordance with international humanitarian law. (April 12, 2025)
• The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has reported that Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital is out of service following the IOF’s bombardment and forced evacuation of the Hospital and its The attack rendered total destruction of the emergency room, laboratory, emergency room X-ray machines and the pharmacy, resulting in the death of a child due to disruption of care. The Director demanded that hospitals be protected under international humanitarian law, and called for an end to all attacks on health care, patients, health workers and hospitals. (April 13, 2025)
• Director of External Relations and Communications for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Tamara Alrifai, has raised the alarm on the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as the ongoing bombardment hinders UNRWA operations and kills its staff and humanitarian workers. Alrifai reported more than 280 UNRWA employees killed and underscored the average rate for forced displacement for each person in Gaza to be (6-19) times during this war. Alrifai also warned that the situation in the West Bank, particularly in its northern areas, has become extremely alarming, noting a similarity in crimes pursued in Gaza, emphasising the forced displacement of approximately 40,000 Palestinian refugees from their homes. (April 13, 2025)
• Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Muslim World League and Arab Parliament have heavily rebuked the Israeli bombing of the Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip, describing it as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international conventions. (April 13-14, 2025)
• David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, has denounced the Israeli bombing of Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital, stating that “Israel’s attacks on medical facilities have comprehensively degraded access to healthcare in Gaza.” (April 13, 2025)
• The interim government in Bangladesh has reinstated the phrase “Except Israel” on official passports, reintroducing a clause stating that Bangladeshi passports are valid for travelling to all countries but Israel. According to a circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, passports will once again include the phrase, “THIS PASSPORT IS VALID FOR ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD EXCEPT ISRAEL.” The clause had been implemented for decades, before it was removed in 2021, triggering public outrage at the time. The decision came in the wake of a massive demonstration for Gaza recently held in the capital, Dhaka, where 100, 000 protesters at least rallied to condemn Israel’s war on Gaza. (April 15, 2025)
• In a joint statement, the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt affirmed their full support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, primarily their right to establish an independent state on June 04 1967 borders. The leaders of the two states also reiterated their full support for the Gaza reconstruction plan and expressed their aspiration for an international conference to be hosted by Egypt, incorporating regional and international cooperation, to ensure improved living conditions for the Palestinian people in the Strip. (April 14, 2025)
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has decided to extend the deadline -in the case of South Africa vs. Israel- for Israel to submit its Counter-Memorial until 12 January 2026. The extension was granted following Israel’s request on 27 March, claiming that the Counter-Memorial was significantly impeded due to evidentiary issues in South Africa’s Memorial, the exhaustion of advisory proceedings before the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution 79/232 dated 19 December 2024, as well as the burdens arising from other interventions in the case. (14 April 2025)
• Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, has described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a “hell” that is getting worse, stressing that there is no safe place at all in the Strip. Lazzarini criticised the daily Israeli bombardment of Gaza and the “widespread and worsening famine, disease, and exceptionally filthy living conditions,” stressing that that relief aid in the Strip has almost been exhausted due to Israel’s closure of the crossings. Lazzarini shed light on the incessant evacuation and movement orders Palestininans in the Strip were facing, as well as the deteriorating humanitarian crisis since the breakdown of the ceasefire. The Commissioner-General demanded an end to the blockade and the immediate flow of humanitarian aid. (April 14, 2025)
• Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric has expressed deep concern over the bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital in Gaza by the IOF, disrupting it completely amid the collapse of the health system. Dujarric warned that nearly 70 percent of the Gaza Strip is subject to Israeli displacement orders, or are located within the restricted area; while the IOF continues to block aid for more than seven weeks. (April 14, 2025)
• Following discussions with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and various stakeholders, the European Commission has announced a multiannual Comprehensive Support Programme for Palestinian recovery and resilience worth up to €1.6 billion to be launched between 2025 to 2027. The Programme includes budgetary support to the PA; the recovery and stabilisation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza and UNRWA; as well as providing support for the Palestinian private sector. (April 14, 2025)
• The OIC has publicly rebuked the continuous incursions on Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist settlers groups and members of the Knesset under the protection of the IOF. The Organisation described it as a provocation of Muslim sentiments and a flagrant violation of international law. (April 15, 2025)
• In solidarity with the Palestinian cause, Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu ratified the Third Amendment to the Maldives Immigration Act (Law No. 01/2007), prohibiting individuals holding Israeli passports from entry into the Maldives. The Government’s decision comes in the wake of the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. (April 15, 2025)
• UN humanitarian partners on the ground in the Strip have reported escalation in attacks causing a significant rise in the number of civilian casualties and the growing destruction of infrastructure. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric added that an Israeli strike targeted the Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Younis, resulting in injuries to several staff members, including two nurses. (April 14-15, 2025)
• Marking Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs released a report documenting the systematic violence against Palestinian female prisoners in Israeli detention centers. The report highlights the escalation of repressive policies, including arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, and enforced disappearance. It further documents a pattern of gender-based violations within the context of the Israeli military occupation. (April 16, 2025)
• In a joint statement, China and Malaysia called on all relevant parties to continuously and effectively implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement, to achieve a permanent ceasefire. Both sides stressed that Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inalienable part of the territory of Palestine. They mutually opposed the forced displacement of the people of Gaza and agreed that “the Palestinians governing Palestine” is an important principle that must be upheld in the post-conflict governance of Gaza. (April 17, 2025)
• Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested the Hungarian Government, under Article (87)7 of the Rome Statute, explain why it disregarded the international arrest warrant against the ICC issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While the Court sent an official request to Budapest on April 3, the day Netanyahu landed in the country, Hungary chose to breach its obligations under the Rome Statute and failed to arrest Netayahu. (April 16, 2025)
• Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, affirmed that the Palestinian cause is facing the most dangerous threat in its history amid “a shameful and disgraceful” global silence. He underscored Palestinian presence on the ground as being the most vital form of resistance today, calling for a clear, collective Arab position to fortify their presence. (April 17, 2025)
• Marking Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, Speaker of the Arab Parliament Mohammed Ibn Ahmed Al-Yamahi, affirmed the issue of Palestinian prisoners will remain at the top of the Parliament’s agenda until freedom is achieved. He reiterated the Parliament’s call for an international conference on Palestinian prisoners to globalise their cause and hold accountable those responsible for the war crimes committed against them. (April 17, 2025)
• Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, raised the alarm on the Israeli authorities’ banned entry of international media to Gaza. Lazzarini emphasised that the ban prevented independent reporting; fueling propaganda, disinformation and thereby dehumanising the Palestinians since the beginning of the war a year and half The Commissioner-General called for the immediate entry of international media into Gaza. (April 17, 2025)
• Spokesperson for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Sufyan Qudah, condemned the incursion of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli Knesset members and extremists carrying out provocative actions, under the protection of the IOF. He called on the international community to take action to cease Israel’s ongoing violations of Christian and Islamic holy sites. Qudah highlighted the affiliation between the Jerusalem Awqaf Department and the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, the Ministry’s recognition of the Department as the sole legal authority responsible for managing the site and administering access. (April 17, 2025)
• UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, deplored the Israeli attack on Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital in Gaza, as the last functioning hospital in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. She stated that the continued attacks on health facilities and medical personnel are rendering provision of healthcare services in an already crumbling health care system impossible. Mofokeng reiterated global calls to take all means necessary to end the war and save the lives and dignity of the Palestinian people in Gaza. (April 17, 2025)
• The Trump administration has ordered a social media vetting for all U.S. visa applicants who have been to the Gaza Strip on or after January 1, 2007. The order encompasses immigrant and non-immigrant visas, including non-governmental organisation workers as well as individuals who had been in the enclave for any length of time in an official or diplomatic capacity. Trump officials explained that student visa holders supporting Palestinians and criticising Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza are also subject to deportation, calling their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests. (April 18, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• After his whereabouts had been unknown following an attack on the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) teams in Rafah City, PRCS has reported receiving confirmation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that paramedic As‘ad al-Nassasrah is being held captive by the IOF. The Society confirmed that al-Nassasrah was abducted while performing his humanitarian duties, after he and his colleagues came under heavy gunfire, resulting in the killing of eight paramedics. PRCS heavily criticised the attack as a grave violation of international humanitarian law and called on the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation for his immediate release. (13 April, 2025)
• The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem has strongly condemned the IOF’s bombardment of the Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital in Gaza City. The Diocese shed light on the history of bombardment on the Hospital, as the attack was a twin-strike and a fifth of its kind since the beginning of the war on the Strip. The Diocese called for the intervention of all governments and people to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem also denounced the targeting of the hospital, describing it as a “painful blow to the core of the Christian humanitarian message” and “a blatant violation of the sanctity of life.” (April 13, 2025)
• The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has warned of an unprecedented environmental and health catastrophe threatening the lives of 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The catastrophe is the direct result of the accumulation of waste and the transformation of residential areas and shelter centers into open dumping sites. The deteriorating crisis comes amid Israel’s deliberate destruction of more than 80% of vital infrastructure and its obstruction of specialised teams from accessing main landfills. PCHR emphasized that Israel is weaponising waste as part of its broader acts of genocide, systematically engineering a deadly and uninhabitable reality in Gaza. The Centre called for an immediate end to the aggression, the opening of border crossings, and entry of essential equipment and fuel needed to address the crisis. (April 15, 2025)
• The Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies (Madar) published its report “Madar Strategic 2025 – The Israeli Landscape 2024,” addressing Israel’s genocidal approach, the unprecedented American and international support for it, replication of Israel’s brute military intervention in the West Bank, silent annexation, as well as transferring the administration of the occupation’s policies to its settlers. (April 15, 2025)
• The New York Times obtained autopsy reports for 14 of the 15 paramedics and rescue workers killed by Israeli forces in a March 23 attack on an ambulance and a fire truck in Gaza. The autopsies revealed that the medics were mainly killed due to gunshots to the head or chest, while others had shrapnel injuries or other wounds. The reports confirmed that they were wearing Palestinian Red Crescent and Civil Defense uniforms, and video footage exposed that some of the paramedics were outside their vehicles and their uniforms were clearly visible when they were shot. (April 15, 2025)
• Emergency coordinator with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Gaza, Amande Bazerolle has warned that Gaza has become a “mass grave” for Palestinians and those trying to help them. She added, “We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza.” Similarly, General Director of MSF France, Claire Magone, affirmed that the “This horrific killing of aid workers is yet another example of the complete disregard shown by Israeli forces for the protection of humanitarian and medical workers. The silence and unconditional support of Israel’s closest allies further emboldens these actions.” (April 16, 2025)
• The Global Legal Action Network and the Hind Rajab Foundation have lodged a request with the UK’s Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions seeking their consent to make an application for an arrest warrant for Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. The charges mainly include the Minister’s role in the aided and abetted torture and grave breaches of international humanitarian law in Palestine, particularly the seige of Kamal Adwan Hospital at the end of 2024, resulting the abduction and torture of the hospital director, Dr Hussam Abu Safiyeh. (April 16, 2025)
• An investigation by the platform Declassified has revealed that the BBC deliberately obscured the UK government’s support for Israel in its aggression on Gaza. The report stated that the BBC refrained from covering military cooperation between the two sides, including Royal Air Force spy flights over Gaza occurring almost daily, Israeli army training in the UK, and secret military agreements. It also omitted reports of using British airspace to transport weapons to Israel. Likewise, the network’s coverage has seldom acknowledged mounting evidence of direct UK involvement in Israel’s campaign or the depth of Whitehall’s pro-Israel stance. More so, the BBC deliberately disregarded coverage of British authorities harassing and arresting pro-Palestinian journalists in the UK, ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement with Israel, and the swaying influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups within Parliament. (April 15, 2025)
• ​The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a war crimes complaint in the United States against former Israeli army sergeant Yuval Shatel, urging U.S. authorities to arrest and prosecute him for alleged atrocities committed during Israel’s Gaza campaign. The request includes evidence of his involvement in the destruction of homes, schools, and civilian places of worship. (April 17, 2025)
• The heads of a dozen leading international and Palestinian relief organisations issued a stark warning that aid operations in Gaza are on the verge of total collapse amid intensifying siege conditions and relentless bombardment​. In a joint appeal on Thursday, the CEOs of 12 major international and Palestinian NGOs described Gaza’s humanitarian crisis as “one of the worst failures of our generation,” urging: “Let us do our jobs.”​ The plea comes after 18 months of war and six weeks of total siege. A new survey of 43 aid agencies working in Gaza found that 95% of organisations have been forced to suspend or dramatically cut services, while Gaza has set a catastrophic record as the most dangerous place for humanitarian workers. The statement revealed that 9,000 pallets of aid supplies are stuck outside Gaza in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel) awaiting permission to enter​. A tightly controlled “authorisation mechanism” for Gaza aid, announced by Israel, was denounced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as effectively “limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour.” The NGO leaders echoed this criticism, saying the scheme would set a dangerous global precedent by allowing military and political forces to micromanage aid, “eliminating any remaining space” for neutral, independent relief work. (April 17, 2025)

Opinion Pieces and features 

• Al Jazeera published an op-ed by Xavier Abu Eid titled, “France can and must do more than recognising Palestinian statehood.” (April 13, 2025)
• The Guardian published an op-ed by Arwa Mahdawi titled, “Why do Trump voters have no regrets? Because the people they hate are getting hurt more.” (April 18, 2025)
• The Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies published an article by Antoine Shalhat titled, “Israeli Strategy in the “Current Reality”: The War Will Continue Until Further Notice!” (14 April 2025)
• Al Sharq Strategic Research published an article by Ramzy Baroud titled, “The Dichotomy of Security and Threat: Defining US Foreign Policy in the Middle East and Beyond.”(April 14, 2025)
• Le Monde published an article by Samuel Forey titled, “How Israel is seizing large parts of Gaza and reshaping the Palestinian territory.” (April 15, 2025)
• Arab News published an op-ed by Osama Al-Sharif titled, “Gaza’s impossible choice: extermination or forced transfer.” (April 15, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an op-ed by Amira Jarmakani titled, “How the Trump administration is using civil rights complaints over ‘antisemitism’ to end DEI and quash dissent on Palestine.” (April 17, 2025)
• Haaretz published an editorial titled, “Israel Must Stop Starving Gaza.” (April 17, 2025)
• The Nation published an article by Assal Rad titled, “Israel’s Genocide Has Resumed—and So Have the Media’s Failures.” (April 14, 2025)
• The Nation published an article by Saree Makdisi, titled “Trump’s War on the Palestine Movement Is Something Entirely New.” (April 17, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an op-ed by Shatha Hanaysha, titled “‘They told my brother I was dead’: inside Israel’s psychological warfare against Palestinian prisoners.” (April 17, 2025)