PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue. 305

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

2-8 Nov. 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

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

Translation: Aseel Ghabayen and Asma Louzon

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:

• On the 108th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Palestinian National Council stated that this infamous declaration represents a historical sin that caused the suffering of the Palestinian people, as it granted a homeland by those who had no right to own to those who had no entitlement – laying the foundation for occupation, colonization, and forced displacement. The Council affirmed that the recognition of the State of Palestine by Britain and other countries is a step in the right direction but remains insufficient and does not absolve them of their legal and moral responsibilities. (November 2, 2025)
• The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs confirmed that the situation of prisoners has seriously deteriorated in Megiddo Prison, where repression, beatings, and arbitrary transfers have increased, while health and living conditions have sharply declined. The Commission called on the international community to urgently intervene to ensure respect for prisoners’ rights and to improve their detention conditions in accordance with international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, the Head of the Commission urged the international community to take immediate action to halt the law authorizing the execution of prisoners, which was condemned by the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a war crime. (November 2, 2025)
• The President of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, stated that the execution of Ahmad Rubhi Idais Al-Atrash by an Israeli settler north of Hebron, and the killing of 17-year-old Jamil Atef Hannani by Israeli occupation forces in Beit Furik, east of Nablus, fall within the framework of a systematic policy of aggression. He affirmed that arming settlers and granting them protection are integral to Israel’s policy of ethnic cleansing, displacement, and annexation. (November 3, 2025)
• The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission confirmed that Israeli occupation forces and settlers carried out 2,350 attacks during October, including physical assaults, uprooting of trees, home demolitions, and preventing olive harvesters from accessing their lands. (November 4, 2025)
• The Jerusalem Governorate announced that the Israeli occupation authorities had issued two new tenders for the construction of 356 settlement units in the “Adam/Givat Binyamin” settlement northeast of Jerusalem, as part of the plan to annex more land under the “Greater Jerusalem” project. It added that since the beginning of 2025, the occupation has announced around 5,667 settlement units in the West Bank and Jerusalem; an unprecedented record figure. (November 5, 2025)
• The Advisor to the Governor of Jerusalem stated that the discussion by the Israeli Knesset’s National Security Committee on closing foreign consulates operating in Jerusalem constitutes a serious escalation within Israel’s policies aimed at imposing full sovereignty over the occupied city and eliminating any form of international presence there. He explained that this move represents a political battle targeting the alteration of the legal status that has existed since 1967, emphasizing that foreign consulates symbolize a political and legal presence reflecting the international community’s rejection of the annexation of Jerusalem. (November 6, 2025)

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

• The spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oren Marmorstein, accused two UNRWA employees of working as members of Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva claimed that “Evidence keeps piling up: UNRWA isn’t just compromised — it’s infiltrated.” (November 2, 2025)
• The National Security Committee of the Israeli Knesset approved in its first reading two bills entitled: Amendment—Death Penalty for Terrorists” The drafts stipulate imposing a mandatory death sentence on anyone convicted of killing out of “hostility against a population” or with the intent of “harming the State of Israel and the national revival of the Jewish people,” without any judicial discretion in sentencing. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir supported the law, emphasizing that it will change Israel’s security doctrine, and asserting that any terrorist who commits murder must know that the only punishment to be imposed on him is the death penalty. (November 3, 2025)
• Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli authorities have decided to resume the expansion of rural settlement in the Negev and Galilee after more than two years of freeze. (November 3, 2025)

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

• Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that he discussed with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas the formation of the new transitional government for reconstruction in Palestine, as well as the holding of free elections throughout Palestine and Israel. He stressed the need to end the hostage crisis and the violence in order to begin a genuine peace process based on the establishment of two states. (November 2, 2025)
• United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, stated that a ceasefire “the Israeli way” means bombing Gaza, killing Palestinians in the West Bank, and seizing more land in both areas, criticizing the international community for describing this as “peace.” She added that recognizing the State of Palestine is meaningless if it is not accompanied by protection. (November 3, 2025)
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the expansion of the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip has had positive effects on the population, supporting bakeries, community kitchens, malnutrition treatment centers, and the distribution of food and medical aid. It noted that 81% of the buildings in the Strip have been damaged, underscores the continuing scale of humanitarian needs. (November 3, 2025)
• The Acting Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, Sam Rose, stated that the agency not only runs schools, but operates an entire educational system that no other international entity is capable of taking responsibility for. He affirmed that the situation in the Gaza Strip is desperate and extremely difficult, calling on the international community to use all available tools to ensure that children in Gaza and across Palestine receive the education they need. He stressed that protecting UNRWA’s mandate and its work is crucial to maintaining the provision of education for Palestine refugee children. (November 3, 2025)
• Axios reported that the United States has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for the establishment of an “International Security Force in Gaza” for at least two years, extendable until the end of 2027, with a broad mandate that includes administering Gaza and providing security. According to the draft, the force would operate under unified leadership and in consultation with a “Peace Council” to be chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump. (November 3, 2025)
• The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the Israeli occupation’s bill to execute Palestinian prisoners, stating that it constitutes a blatant violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war. (November 4, 2025)
• UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that tonnes of UK aid for Gaza are still waiting in Jordan, stressing the need to reopen the aid route from Jordan and lift the restrictions on its entry. (November 4, 2025).
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deep concern over the continued violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, stressing that they must stop immediately, and calling on all parties to abide by the decisions of the first phase of the peace agreement. (November 4, 2025).
• UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher confirmed that reports continue to come in regarding attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property across the West Bank, particularly during the olive harvest season. He noted that more communities have been affected this year than in the previous six years, stressing that the failure to prevent or punish such attacks is inconsistent with international law. (November 4, 2025).
• UNRWA stated that nearly all residents of the Gaza Strip have been displaced. Many families tried to return to their homes after the ceasefire began, only to find most of them reduced to rubble. It added that the UN satellite center reported that approximately 81% of buildings in Gaza had been damaged. (November 4, 2025)
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development that any transition lead to a situation in which the two sides, Gaza and the West Bank, are united and that the Palestinian Authority exerts its full authority. He clarified that the UN is not involved in discussions regarding the US draft resolution on an international force, but believes that any entity established in Gaza should have the legitimacy through the Security Council  (November 4, 2025)
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, stated that there is no ceasefire or peace in Palestine, only destruction and violence of ethnic cleansing. She warned that the complicity of world leaders will create  insecurity whose repercussions will affect everyone. (November 4, 2025)
• The World Food Programme reported that, three weeks after the ceasefire, it had distributed food parcels to one million people in the Gaza Strip. It stressed that humanitarian teams need additional border crossings and greater access to key roads inside Gaza to further expand their operations, noting that only two crossings are currently operational. (November 4, 2025)
• The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli government’s announcement of tenders for the construction of 356 new settlement units in an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, considering this a reinforcement of the occupation and a blatant violation of international law. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the move. (November 5, 2025)
• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory called on Israel to immediately halt the mass demolition orders targeting 11 homes and vital community infrastructure in the Bedouin community of Umm Al Khair, in the South Hebron Hills. The Commissioner warned of the risk of renewed forced displacement of the community’s 35 extended families, who have lived there since their expulsion from their lands in the Negev during the mass forcible displacement of Palestinians in 1948-1949, known as the Nakba. The statement stressed that the Israeli authorities continue to impose discriminatory land regulations that prevent Palestinians from obtaining building permits, while allowing settlers to expand existing settlements and establish new outposts. (November 5, 2025)
• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that October recorded the highest number of Israeli settler attacks since 2006. It stated that one in every five Palestinians killed this year in the West Bank by Israeli forces was a child. OCHA also documented the killing of six Palestinians in a single week, including two children, and the demolition of 11 Palestinian structures under the pretext of lacking building permits. (November 6, 2025)
• A court in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza, as well as in connection with the attack on the “Global Sumud Flotilla” vessel bound for Gaza. The investigation included testimonies from victims of the attack who were transferred to Türkiye for treatment. (November 7, 2025).

Publications of human rights NGOs

• Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemned the Israeli occupation authorities’ decision to continue preventing the International Committee of the Red Cross from visiting Palestinian detainees for the third consecutive year, considering this part of the policy of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and a further expansion of arbitrary measures that undermine one of the core pillars of international humanitarian law. It explained that this ban heightens concerns for the lives of the detainees and prevents independent monitoring of their conditions of detention. (November 4, 2025)
• The Hind Rajab Foundation submitted a formal complaint to the European Investment Bank Complaints Mechanism (EIB-CM), calling for the suspension of financial cooperation with Israeli institutions listed on the United Nations blacklist due to their involvement in illegal settlements. The organization announced that the complaint has moved to the official evaluation stage. (November 4, 2025)
• The Palestinian NGO Network condemned the preliminary approval in the Israeli Knesset of the so-called Execution of Prisoners Law, describing it as a racist application of the execution policy already carried out by the occupation authorities against male and female prisoners in cold blood, both inside and outside prisons. (November 4, 2025)
• The Palestinian human rights initiative Belassan published an update titled “Withholding Palestinian Tax Revenues: Economic Pressure Towards Paralyzing the Palestinian Education Sector”, highlighting that the withholding of clearance revenues has led to an unprecedented collapse in the Palestinian education system. More than one million Palestinian children have been deprived of their right to education due to teacher strikes and the suspension of thousands of schools in the West Bank, alongside the destruction of the education sector in Gaza as a result of the ongoing genocide. (November 4, 2025)
• Peace Now reported that Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing has announced two tenders for the construction of a new neighborhood in the settlement of Geva Binyamin (Adam), southeast of Ramallah, including 342 housing units across five compounds and 14 homes designated for reserve soldiers, in a year that has seen record settlement expansion, reaching 5,667 units since the beginning of 2025—an increase of 50% compared to the previous peak in 2018. An additional tender was also published in the settlement of Giv’on HaHadasha, south of Ramallah, for the construction of a new residential complex. The organization explained that the plan approved this past January expands the built-up area of the Adam settlement by about 150 dunams toward the Bedouin community of Jaba’, which has faced increasing settler violence. (November 5, 2025)
• The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reported that millions of shelter and non-food items are stuck in Jordan, Egypt, and Israel awaiting the necessary approvals to enter Gaza, putting approximately 1.5 million people at risk of deteriorating living conditions. It added that since the ceasefire took effect, Israeli authorities have rejected 23 requests from nine aid agencies to bring in urgently needed shelter supplies. (November 5, 2025)
• The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) published a joint report titled Discriminating Against Dissent: The Weaponization of Civil Rights Law to Repress Campus Speech on Palestine, which revealed, with figures, how the U.S. government has used allegations of antisemitism” as a political tool to suppress freedom of expression on American university campuses. (November 5, 2025)
• Al-Haq Organization reported that the Court of Appeal in The Hague issued a ruling confirming the existence of a serious risk of Israel committing genocide in Gaza and violating international humanitarian law. The court emphasized that the Dutch state is obliged to take urgent measures to prevent “(further) genocide” without waiting for the final judgment of the International Court of Justice. (November 5, 2025)
• DAWN issued a statement following the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office’s decision to issue arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, affirming that the move demonstrates what states that rely on universal jurisdiction are capable of doing. It stressed that states have a legal obligation to prosecute or extradite those responsible for such crimes, and called on the Turkish authorities to submit the arrest warrants to Interpol. (November 7, 2025)
• The Guardian revealed that a covert operation lead by private intelligence firms,  “Highgate”, with supported from”Elicitus”, targeted the woman who accused International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan of sexual harassment. The operation collected sensitive files about her and her family members in an attempt to link her to Israel, with the aim of undermining her credibility and the misconduct allegations she filed against the ICC prosecutor. (November 7, 2025)
• The Guardian published a report revealing that Israel is holding dozens of Palestinians from Gaza in an underground prison where they are deprived of daylight, adequate food, and any contact with the outside world. Among those detained are a nurse and a teenager who were held for several months without charge or trial and were subjected to torture. (November 8, 2025)

Opinion Pieces and features

• Deutsche Welle published an opinion piece by Kathrin Wesolowski entitled: “Gaza War: Understanding Through the Lens of Racism” (November 2, 2025)
• Al Jazeera published an opinion article by Samer Jaber entitled: “How Labour Unions in Europe Can Help End Israel’s Genocide in Gaza” (November 2, 2025)
• Covert Action published an article by Alfred de Zayas entitled: “The Trump-Netanyahu “Peace” Plan is Incompatible With UN Charter and International Law” (November 3, 2025)
• The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History published a research article by Nicola Perugini titled “Between Anti-Colonial Resistance and Colonial Genocide: Gaza at the Limits of International Law.” (November 3, 2025).
• Security Context published an article by Mandy Turner titled “Give Peace a Chance’ Is a Smokescreen. We Must Keep Up the Pressure on Israel and Western States Until Palestinian Self-Determination Is Achieved.” (November 3, 2025).
• Opinio Juris published an article by Elise Baker and Britt G. Ronnemaa titled: “A Reminder That Targeting a Hospital Is a War Crime.” (November 4, 2025)
• The CounterPunch published an article by Ramzy Baroud titled: “Is the US Reclaiming the Wheel from a Self-Destructive Israel?” (November 4, 2025)
• Arab News published an opinion article by Osama Al-Sharif titled: “Netanyahu wants Gaza plan to remain stuck in phase one.” (November 4, 2025)
• Middle East Monitor published an opinion article by Ramona Wadi titled: “What remains missing from the rhetoric of “Israel’s obligations” (November 4, 2025)
• Just Security published an article by Eliav Lieblich titled: “The U.S. Draft Security Council Resolution on Gaza: Initial Concerns.” (November 5, 2025)
• CounterPunch published an article by Alfred de Zayas entitled: “The Normalization of Genocide.” (November 5, 2025)
• Arab News published an opinion piece by Daoud Kuttab entitled: “UN Security Council approach offers hope for Gaza.” (November 5, 2025)
• Middle East Monitor published an opinion piece by Ramzy Baroud entitled: “Verdict from the people: Why the Gaza Tribunal is about accountability, not symbolism.” (November 6, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an opinion piece by Mitchell Plitnick titled: “Trump looks to the UN to bail out his ’20-point plan’ for Gaza.” (November 7, 2025)
• The Guardian published an article titled: “Israel’s underground jail, where Palestinians are held without charge and never see daylight.” (November 8, 2025)

Human rights conferences and events

• The University of Amsa for Social Sciences in Bolivia organized a large solidarity event with Palestine to raise awareness about the Palestinian cause and the genocide and displacement the Palestinian people are facing. (November 5,2025)

Upcoming human rights opportunities and events

• The United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People announced that it will hold its second consultation of 2025 with civil society organizations on 12 November 2025, in Santiago, Chile, under the title: “Engagement with Latin American Civil Society & Palestinian Diaspora: A Call for Action to Ensure Recovery and Healing to Gaza and to End Israel’s Illegal Occupation.” (November 4, 2025)
• Progressives International, Al-Shabaka, and Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies at Birzeit University announced the organization of the “Ramallah Conference on Decolonization in Palestine” to be held on 11–12 November 2025 at Birzeit University and in several other cities across the occupied Palestinian territories. The conference will bring together researchers, diplomats, and leaders of social movements from around the world to analyze the structure of Israeli settler colonialism and explore ways to dismantle it. (2025)