PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue. 289

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

13 – 19 July 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

Prepared by: Nour Kharouf, Murad Abu Murad, Ahmad Al-Rjoub, and Arwa Abdel moniam

Translation: Sabrin Alsheikh Ahmed and Maisaa Abdelqader

Editing: Widad Hussein

This weekly report reviews the legal dynamics of the Palestine question, and everything related to international law and Palestine. The report includes an account of the most important publications, activities and conferences related to Palestine at the local, regional, international levels. The report further covers decisions, decrees, and judicial orders affecting the Palestinian cause, whether made at the official, academic or public levels. The report aims to be a reference for monitoring, documenting and archiving the latest human rights developments related to Palestine, and to present them to individuals, researchers, study centers, and official, academic and legal institutions concerned.

To view this Issue of Palestine’s Legal Scene, please click here (5 minutes read)

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

• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the ongoing brutal massacres committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, the latest of which was the targeting of civilians at a water collection point in the New Camp in Nuseirat, in the central part of the Strip. The Ministry reiterated its warning about the dangers of forcibly displacing the Palestinian people under the pretext of establishing a so-called “humanitarian city” in Rafah, a concept it said has nothing to do with humanity. The Ministry also denounced the settlers’ sabotage of water wells in Ein Samiya, northeast of Ramallah, including the destruction of water station gates and the deprivation of numerous towns that rely on those wells. (July 13, 2025)
• The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the Israeli occupation authorities continue to escalate their systematic policy of demolitions and forced displacement targeting the Palestinian population in occupied Jerusalem. These measures are part of a broader settlement plan aimed at Judaizing the city and erasing its Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity. (July 15, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of the grave consequences of any Israeli decision to resume work on the E1 settlement project. The Ministry stressed that the project would permanently fragment the West Bank, deepen Jerusalem’s isolation from its Palestinian surroundings on all sides, and link it exclusively to Israeli areas. (July 15, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed alarm over reports in the Hebrew media regarding the transfer of administrative and supervisory authority over Al-Ibrahimi Mosque (Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi) from the Hebron Municipality to a settler council. The Ministry described the move as an unprecedented step in Israel’s continued attempts to assert sovereignty over the site, Judaize it, and erase its identity and historical character. It called on UNESCO and the international community to take immediate and urgent action to stop the implementation of this decision. (July 16, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli occupation’s bombing of the Catholic Latin Church in Gaza City, describing it as a full-fledged crime that constitutes an act of genocide. (July 17, 2025)
• The Palestinian National Council condemned the massacre committed by the Israeli occupation army near a humanitarian aid distribution center south of Khan Younis. It held both the Israeli occupation and the U.S. administration fully responsible for the systematic crime, stating that it occurred under the direct supervision of U.S. forces. (July 19, 2025)

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

• Following the proposed 60-day ceasefire with Hamas currently under discussion in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel will resume its war on Hamas in Gaza. He stated that after the truce, civilians in southern Gaza would be relocated and a siege would be imposed on the northern part of the Strip. Netanyahu described the separation of civilians from Hamas in southern Gaza as a “humanitarian necessity” to enable the continuation of fighting after the temporary truce. (July 13, 2025)
• Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen declared that the Gaza Strip would remain in a state of devastation for decades, with no prospects for reconstruction. He also called for legislation to cut off electricity and water supplies to UNRWA offices in “Israel,” aiming to halt the agency’s operations, which he accused of fostering incitement and violence. (July 13/14, 2025)
• Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described Israel’s plan to establish a “humanitarian city” in Gaza as tantamount to creating a “concentration camp.” He asserted that building a massive encampment for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians on the ruins of Rafah amounts to ethnic cleansing aimed at expelling and erasing the Palestinian population. (July 14, 2025)
• A civil lawsuit was filed in an Israeli court against the Palestinian Authority, demanding compensation of one billion shekels. The case, brought by around 200 heirs of those killed at the Nova music festival and other locations during the October 7, 2023 attacks, accuses the Palestinian Authority of direct responsibility for the events by financing and encouraging terrorism, specifically through the payment of stipends to security prisoners and their families. (July 14, 2025)
• The spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued an urgent warning to residents of several neighborhoods in Gaza City and Jabalia, calling for their immediate evacuation southward toward the Al-Mawasi area. He also announced new evacuation orders affecting residents of Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and other neighborhoods, including those sheltering in tents and temporary shelters. (July 15, 17, and 18, 2025)
• Axios reported that the head of Israel’s Mossad visited Washington and asked the White House to help persuade countries such as Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya to accept hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, as part of a population transfer plan being pursued by the Netanyahu government. Mossad chief David Barnea reportedly proposed to U.S. envoy Steve Wietkopf that the United States offer incentives to these countries, but Wietkopf did not express a clear commitment. (July 19, 2025)

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

• The UK Foreign Office condemned the killing of two Palestinians, Seif Mossallat and Mohammed Shalahi, by extremist settlers in Sinjil. The statement noted that this tragedy followed the attack on Kafr Malik and emphasized that extremist settlers often face no consequences for their actions. It stressed the importance of holding those responsible accountable for these violations. (July 13, 2025)
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the situation in Gaza is unacceptable, criticizing Israel’s plan to transfer Palestinians to a detention camp being built on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza. He called for increased humanitarian aid and expressed hope that Europe and the United States would support efforts toward achieving a two-state solution. (July 13–15, 2025)
• UNICEF announced that more than 5,800 children in Gaza were diagnosed with malnutrition in June alone, including over 1,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a number that has continued to rise for the fourth consecutive month. The organization described the crisis as a child survival emergency, emphasizing that lives can only be saved if humanitarian aid is delivered at the necessary speed and scale. (July 13, 2025
• Commenting on the dire conditions faced by Palestinian doctor Hossam Abu Safia in Israeli prisons, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese urged the European Union and all parties maintaining dialogue with Israel to use their influence to end all unlawful detentions under international law. She stressed the need to work toward the safe return of all hostages, both Palestinian and Israeli, to their homes. (July 14, 2025)
• United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation in Gaza as “horrific,” reiterating his call for an immediate ceasefire that could pave the way for a political solution grounded in the UN Charter and international law. Guterres stated that the destruction and loss of life witnessed in Gaza undermine the most basic conditions of human dignity, emphasizing that a ceasefire alone is not enough, it must lead to a solution that ensures both Palestinians and Israelis can fully exercise their rights. (July 14, 2025)
• UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan reported a dangerous escalation in violations by Israeli security forces and settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in recent weeks. He highlighted killings, assaults, and the forced mass displacement of hundreds of Palestinians, describing these acts as part of a systematic policy aimed at land annexation, in blatant violation of international law. Al-Kheetan noted that Israeli forces have frequently used excessive, and often lethal,force against civilians who posed no threat. (July 15, 2025)
• The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, confirmed that the Israeli army continues to issue displacement orders directing Palestinians to the overcrowded Al-Mawasi area, which lacks even the most basic necessities for survival. Dujarric explained that the latest orders have affected 11 neighborhoods in Gaza and northern Gaza, where at least 120,000 people are estimated to be residing. (July 15, 2025)
• The Arab League strongly condemned the recently circulated Israeli plans to confine Palestinians to a small camp in southern Gaza, stressing that the so-called “humanitarian city” proposed by the occupation bears no relation to humanity or civility. The League stated that the plan reflects a deliberate intent to continue ethnic cleansing, reoccupy the Gaza Strip, and potentially pave the way for future settlement expansion. (July 15, 2025)
• France expressed strong opposition to the revival of the E1 settlement project, announced by Israel’s Civil Administration Planning Council, which aims to construct more than 3,000 housing units east of Jerusalem. The French Foreign Ministry emphasized that the plan violates international law and undermines the prospect of a two-state solution, which it described as the only viable path to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued its own warning about the E1 project and the reported transfer of authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque to Israeli settlement entities. The Ministry reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and also condemned the Israeli bombing of the Latin Patriarchate Church in Gaza. (July 15–17, 2025)
• The European Union failed to take any concrete action against Israel over its conduct in Gaza during a meeting of its 27 foreign ministers. Instead, the ministers agreed to “closely watch Israel’s compliance” with the latest agreement aimed at improving humanitarian aid access to Gaza, while postponing a decision on a list of 10 possible response measures to Israeli actions. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that “the goal is not to punish Israel, but to improve the situation in Gaza,” while affirming the EU’s readiness to act “if Israel does not fulfill its commitments.” (July 15, 2025)
• Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon expressed regret over the failure of European Union foreign ministers to reach an agreement on taking action against Israel for human rights violations in Gaza. She emphasized that Israel’s agreement in principle to facilitate humanitarian aid for Gaza is no excuse for continued inaction. (July 15, 2025)
• The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected Israel’s request, submitted on May 9, 2025, to withdraw, cancel, or declare void the arrest warrants issued for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. The Chamber also denied Israel’s request to suspend the ongoing investigation led by the Prosecutor. The Court ruled Israel’s request inadmissible, noting that because Israel does not recognize the Court’s jurisdiction, it cannot challenge proceedings under Article 19(7) of the Rome Statute. The arrest warrants remain valid and in force. (July 16, 2025)
• The Hague Group of States issued a joint statement announcing a series of measures against Israel in response to the ongoing acts of genocide. These measures include banning the supply of weapons and dual-use equipment to Israel, prohibiting the transit and docking of vessels carrying such materials in member states’ territorial waters and ports, and launching an urgent review of public contracts to prevent the financing of the occupation. The statement also emphasized the need for accountability through both national and international investigations, and reaffirmed support for the principle of universal jurisdiction. (July 16, 2025)
• S. National Security Advisor and Trump administration nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz, stated that if confirmed, he would work to dismantle UNRWA. He accused the agency of staff involvement in the October 7 massacre and claimed that its schools promote antisemitic hatred. Waltz also criticized the reappointment of Francesca Albanese as UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights. (July 16, 2025)
• In a briefing to the UN Security Council, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher stated that addressing the growing humanitarian needs in Gaza must be done without exposing civilians to gunfire. He emphasized that residents of the Strip are facing death, injury, displacement, and the loss of dignity, and stressed that Israel is obligated to provide food and medical supplies, “but this is not happening.” Fletcher noted that hunger has reached unprecedented levels, the health system has collapsed, and only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational. (July 16, 2025)
• During a UN Security Council session on Gaza, British Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward stated that the United Kingdom, along with Denmark, France, Greece, and Slovenia, had called for the meeting out of deep concern over the Israeli government’s inhumane handling of the crisis. She emphasized the urgent need to lift Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid access and firmly opposed the expansion of Israeli military operations. Woodward also expressed alarm over recent remarks by Israel’s Defense Minister concerning the forced displacement of Palestinians to Rafah, stressing that Palestinian territory must not be diminished. The European Union also delivered a briefing during the same session. (July 16, 2025)
• France’s National Court of Asylum has granted refugee status to a Palestinian woman from northern Gaza and her minor son. The ruling, based on the 1951 Geneva Convention, sets a legal precedent for recognizing Palestinians from Gaza, who are not covered by UN protection, as refugees. The court found that the methods of warfare used by the Israeli army since the end of the ceasefire in March 2025 amounted to acts of persecution. (July 16, 2025)
• The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the Israeli occupation’s “illegal” decision to transfer authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and the Hebron Municipality to the so-called “Jewish Religious Council” in the Kiryat Arba settlement. The OIC described the move as a blatant violation of international resolutions, including those issued by UNESCO. The organization also denounced the bombing of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, as well as repeated attacks on St. George’s Church and the Christian cemetery in the town of Taybeh near Ramallah. (July 17, 2025)
• Slovenia’s government declared Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich personae non gratae for inciting violence and committing serious human rights violations against Palestinians through genocidal rhetoric. Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon stated, “This is pressure on the Israeli government, and I believe that if the situation in Gaza does not improve, Slovenia will be able to continue that pressure with confidence.” (July 17, 2025)
• The Brussels Court of First Instance has ruled that the Flemish government must halt all transfers of military equipment to Israel unless it can prove the materials are intended exclusively for civilian use. The court imposed a €50,000 fine for each violation. The ruling specifically addressed a shipment of tapered roller bearings destined for the Israeli defense company Ashot, intercepted at the Port of Antwerp by the organization Vredesactie. The group argued that the components are used in Merkava tanks and Namer armored vehicles, both of which are regularly deployed by Israel in Gaza. The legal case, brought by Vredesactie, Intal, 11.11, and the League for Human Rights, was upheld by the court. (July 17, 2025)
• The United Arab Emirates condemned Israel’s plan to transfer administrative authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Hebron Municipality to the Jewish religious council in the Kiryat Arba settlement. The UAE described the move as a serious violation of the historical and legal status quo. (July 18, 2025)
• A U.S. federal judge has issued a ruling halting the enforcement of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which targeted individuals working with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The decision followed a lawsuit filed by two human rights defenders who challenged the order, originally issued on February 6, 2025. Judge Nancy Torresen ruled that the executive order constituted an unconstitutional violation of free speech. (July 18, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• J Street has called for an independent U.S.-led investigation into the killing of 20-year-old Palestinian-American Seif Muslet, who was beaten to death by a group of Israeli settlers, along with the fatal shooting of another 23-year-old Palestinian during the same incident in the occupied West Bank. The organization’s president expressed shock over reports that settlers blocked ambulances from reaching the victims, while Israeli soldiers present at the scene failed to intervene. J Street renewed its call for the reinstatement of sanctions lifted during the Trump administration and urged Congress to support the “West Bank Violence Prevention Act” to enhance accountability. (July 13, 2025)
• Amnesty International sent a letter to EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and EU Foreign Ministers urging them to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Amnesty cited Israel’s blatant violations of Article 2 of the Agreement and its commission of serious crimes under international law, including ongoing genocide in Gaza and the apartheid system in the occupied Palestinian territory. The letter warned that Israel’s promises to improve the humanitarian situation must not be used as an excuse for EU inaction. Amnesty called for a comprehensive arms embargo, suspension of academic cooperation, a ban on visa-free entry for Israeli settlers, and targeted sanctions against Israeli officials involved in the violations. (July 14, 2025)
• Forensic Architecture published a new analysis asserting that a ceasefire alone will not stop the genocide in Gaza. The report states that the Israeli military has imposed a deadly aid regime, using both aid and starvation as tools to forcibly displace and dismantle Palestinian society. It concludes that these tactics are driving Gaza’s population toward collapse, enabling the continuation of genocide even in the time of a ceasefire. (July 14, 2025)
• The Peace Now organization announced that Israel’s Higher Planning Council is scheduled to meet to advance plans for the construction of 567 housing units in the Beitar Illit and Giv’at Ze’ev settlements. The agenda also includes a renewed discussion on a plan to build 464 units in the Talmon settlement, originally an unauthorized outpost that has since been retroactively legalized. The organization warned that the Israeli government continues to push forward with construction in the E1 area, calling it a fatal blow to the two-state solution. The proposed E1 settlement, consisting of 3,412 housing units, would bisect the West Bank, severely restrict urban continuity between Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, and further entrench the occupation. (July 14, 2025)
• The Policy Working Group – Israel noted that it had joined the list of signatories to a letter addressed to the Irish Parliament urging it to ban imports from Israeli settlements. (July 15, 2025)
• The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee (BNC) stated that a new report proves that the European Union is the most complicit party in financing Israel’s genocide, as well as in supporting its military regime and decades-long apartheid system. The Committee called on EU Foreign Ministers, meeting in Brussels, to terminate the EU-Israel Association Agreement, impose a comprehensive military embargo, and hold complicit companies accountable. (July 15, 2025)
• Thirteen Israeli human rights organizations, including Breaking the Silence, sent a joint letter to EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and the Foreign Ministers of EU member states, urging them to move beyond discussions limited to humanitarian access in Gaza and to address Israel’s systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territory. (July 15, 2025)
• Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, described the EU’s decision not to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement as a “cruel and unlawful betrayal” of the European project and its foundational vision. She stated that the EU had failed to uphold international law and its own principles by missing a crucial opportunity to take a principled stand against Israel’s crimes, instead giving Israel a green light to continue its genocide in Gaza, its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, and its system of apartheid. (July 15, 2025)
• Thirteen civil society organizations, including CIVICUS, expressed deep concern over the U.S. sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories. They described the sanctions as a serious attack on the UN’s human rights pillar and on the principle of international solidarity, and called on the U.S. government to rescind the decision. The International Commission of Jurists also condemned the decision. (July 15, 2025)
• The Shams Center issued a position paper documenting Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories. The paper stated that such violence is rooted in extremist biblical and nationalist ideologies and is carried out as part of an organized policy that benefits from official Israeli complicity and impunity. (July 17, 2025)
• Peace Now warned that the Israeli Defense Minister’s unilateral transfer of administrative authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron to Israeli control constitutes a dangerous escalation that risks igniting a religious war and poses a serious security threat. The organization emphasized that the decision violates the Hebron Agreement, which grants the Palestinian Authority planning and construction authority at the site, breaches international law including the 1954 Hague Convention, and threatens a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. (July 17, 2025)
• Haaretz published a report based on satellite imagery analyzed by the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Center at the Hebrew University, revealing that the scale of destruction in Gaza is significantly greater than previously estimated. The analysis found that approximately 70% of buildings across the Gaza Strip have been completely or partially destroyed; including 89% in Rafah, 84% in North Gaza, 78% in Gaza City, 63% in Khan Younis, and 43% in Deir al-Balah. (July 17, 2025)

Research and academic studies (in Arabic and English):

• International Journal: Canada’s Journal of Global Policy Analysis published a research paper by Alex Neve and others titled: “Israel/Palestine and Canada’s Empty Support for International law.” (2025)
• The KIU Interdisciplinary Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences published a research paper by researcher Godswill Owoche Anta titled: “The Politics in the Enforcement of International Law: Israel–Gaza in Perspective.”(2025)
• The American Journal of International Law published a review article by researcher Longobardo Marco titled: “Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem.” (2025)
• The Arab American University published a PhD dissertation by researcher Ahmed Fathi Ahmed Abdullah titled: “The Principle of Complementarity between the International Criminal Court and the Criminal Justice System in Israel.” (2025)

Opinion Pieces and features

• The Irish Times published an opinion piece by Paul Gillespie titled: “Irish people support Palestinians because they recognise the settler colonial process at play.” (July 12,2025)
• The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre published an opinion piece by Shahd Hammouri and Wissam Ahmad titled: “The profit of which we do not speak: Reflections on UN Rapporteur’s report on the Israeli war economy.” (July 14, 2025)
• The Irish Times published an opinion piece by Mark O’Connell titled: “The role of Tony Blair’s staff in the barbarous Gaza Riviera plan was beyond satire.” (July 14, 2025)
• PassBlue published an opinion piece by Mona Ali Khalil titled: “Saving UNRWA and Keeping the UN’s Promise to Palestine Refugees .” (July 14, 2025)
• The Palestine Chronicle published an opinion article by Robert Inlakesh titled: “Francesca Albanese, Palestine Action, and the End of International Law.” (July 15, 2025)
• CounterPunch published an opinion article by Eric Cheyfitz titled: “The Collapse of the Corporate University in the Time of Gaza.” (July 15, 2025)
• +972 Magazine published an article by Juliette Touma titled: “Aid for Gaza’s starving children is right at the gates. Let it in.” (July 15, 2025)
• The New York Times published an opinion article by Omer Bartov titled: “I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.” (July 15, 2025)
• Arab News published an op-ed by Osama Al-Sharif titled : “ Sykes-Picot and the new Middle East.” ( July 15, 2025)
• Truthout published an op-ed by Sharon Zhang titled: “Israeli Settlers Attack CNN Journalists Investigating Killing of Musalle.” (July 15, 2025)
• Arab News published an op-ed by Daoud Kuttab titled: “Travel restrictions highlight Palestinians’ conditional freedom.” (July 16, 2025)
• Euobserver published an op-ed by Alon Sahar titled: “EU antisemitism coordinator breached her mandate.” ( July 16, 2025)
• 972+ Magazine  published an op -ed by Emilio Dabed  titled: “By failing to stop the Gaza genocide, the ICJ is working exactly as intended.” (July 16, 2025)
• Middle East Monitor published an opinion piece by Oroub El-Abed titled: “A “Humanitarian City” built on ruins: The final displacement of Gaza.” (July 16, 2025)
• Truthout published an opinion piece by Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh titled: “Consensus Grows on Gaza Genocide, But Many Holocaust Scholars Remain Silent.” (July 17, 2025)
• The Guardian published an opinion piece by Kenneth Roth titled: “Could Trump be persuaded to save Palestinians in Gaza? “ (17 July 2025)
• Haaretz published an opinion piece by Haneen Majadle titled: “Israel Is Ethnically Cleansing the West Bank, Too .” (18 July 2025)

Human rights conferences and events

• A group of Palestinian and international human rights organizations announced the launch of the Friends of The Hague Group (FoTHG) in Bogotá, Colombia, coinciding with an emergency ministerial meeting of the Hague Group on Palestine. The initiative aims to strengthen legal and diplomatic cooperation to enforce international law in response to the ongoing genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. The group also seeks to support the mission of the Hague Group, ensure effective Palestinian participation, and broaden international backing for the Palestinian cause. (July 15, 2025)
• Lawyers from JURDI – Jurists for the Respect of International Law have filed a lawsuit before the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg against the European Commission and the European Council, accusing them of failing to act in response to crimes committed by Israel in Gaza. The lawsuit cites the EU’s refusal to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, its lack of sanctions, and its public silence in the face of the risk of genocide and documented crimes, especially in contrast to the sanctions imposed on countries like Russia and Syria. The legal action also demands the suspension of joint EU-Israel research and military projects (including weapons programs funded by the European Defence Fund), a freeze on financial transfers via the SWIFT system, and sanctions against members of the Netanyahu government and violent settlers. (July 17, 2025)

Upcoming human rights opportunities and events

• The Jerusalem Fund for Culture and Community Development announced a symposium titled “Western Media and Israel’s War of Annihilation on Gaza: ulpability or Ignorance?”, scheduled for Thursday, July 24, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM at the Fund’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. (2425 Virginia Ave NW). The event will explore the role of Western, particularly American, media in whitewashing Israeli crimes in Gaza. Attendance is open both in person and online. (2025)
• The Strategic Revival Center of the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) announced a webinar titled “Unpacking the Latest Developments with Respect to Palestine and Its People,” to be held on Monday, July 21, 2025, at 4:00 PM Amman time via Zoom and ARDD’s Facebook page. The session will be moderated by Dr. Miriam Abu Samra, Coordinator at ARDD’s Renaissance Strategic Center (RSC), and feature Dr. Lex Takkenberg, international lawyer and Senior Advisor on the Question of Palestine at RSC. The discussion will address critical challenges facing Palestine amid the collapse of political solutions, the erosion of international protection frameworks, and global failure to ensure justice. (2025)
• Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, issued a call for input from States and international organizations to inform her upcoming report to the UN General Assembly. The report will examine the obligations of States and international organizations following the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion issued on 19 July 2024, and aims to document the measures undertaken by relevant actors to comply with the Court’s conclusions. (2025)
• Law for Palestine announced the fifth panel in the third season of its “Jurists for Palestine Forum,” titled “Breaking Impunity: Global Strategic Litigation and Accountability for Palestine” to be held online on Monday, July 21, 2025. The session will be conducted in English with simultaneous Arabic interpretation and streamed live on YouTube. (2025)