PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue.271

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

9-15 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 Abu Atwan

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.

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 and Expatriates (MOFAE) has condemned the Israeli Ministry of Energy’s decision to cut off the electricity in the Gaza Strip, calling it a deliberate escalation of genocide, forced displacement, and humanitarian catastrophe devastating the lives of over 2 million Palestinians. (March 11, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has heavily rebuked the execution of Palestinians in the West Bank through extrajudicial killings and field executions at the hands of the Israeli occupation, resulting in the killing of 6 people, including children. MOFAE has described these acts as “a direct reflection of an official Israeli policy and a racist, retaliatory colonial mentality in dealing with the Palestinians.” (March 11, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE condemned the occupation’s weaponisation of thirst and starvation as tools in its war of extermination, displacement and annexation against the Palestinian people, marked by an uninterrupted 10-day blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Ministry raised the alarm on the gravity of the occupation’s habitual presence among Palestinian citizens through deliberate acts of terror, destruction of infrastructure, homes, vehicles, and livelihoods in a provocative, brutal, and intentional manner, warning of severely stunting any chances of a political solution to the conflict. (March 13, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has rebuked Israel’s withholding and desecration of Palestinian Martyrs’ bodies as further proof of its genocidal war against the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. It particularly pointed out that the Israeli occupation carried out the extrajudicial execution of five Palestinians in Gaza, and others martyred in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. MOFAE was outraged that the ongoing atrocities were enabled by the international community’s continued failure to take decisive action against the genocide that has persisted for over 16 months, and vows to remain steadfast in pushing for the activation of accountability mechanisms to ensure justice for the Palestinians. (March 11, 2025)
• The Palestinian Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Muhammad Mustafa Najm, has exposed the Israeli occupation for its refusal to hand over the Ibrahimi Mosque, including its facilities, courtyards, and gates, for the second consecutive Friday. Israel’s refusal to keep the eastern gate of the Mosque open has prompted the Ministry to refuse assuming partial control of the Mosque, considering the gate to be a critical part of its constitution. (March 14, 2025)
• The Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, sent three identical letters to UN officials condemning Israel’s ongoing genocidal policies against the Palestinian people. He highlighted continued military raids and settler attacks in the West Bank, which have led to human losses and forced displacement. Mansour urged immediate action to end the genocide. (March 14, 2025)
• The Palestinian MOFAE has affirmed that the large-scale home demolitions carried out by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps, along with the accompanying forced displacement, amount to ethnic cleansing and displacement. The Ministry posited that the IOF’s actions are part of the occupation’s border plans to impose full control over the West Bank. The Ministry condemned these actions as systematic war crimes and called for serious international intervention to halt the aggression (March 15, 2025)

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

• Former Israeli National Security Minister and Knesset Member Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that members of his Otzma Yehudit party have proposed legislation to annul the Oslo Accords, the Hebron Agreement, and the Wye River Agreement. The proposal aims to roll back these agreements and restore Israeli control over the lands transferred under them. (March 09, 2025)
• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has revealed that the government is working with the Trump administration to create a “Migration Directorate” that will oversee the exodus of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, and as part of US President Donald Trump’s deportation plan, Smotrich announced they are currently working on identifying countries that will take in the Gazans. In discussing his vision of the exodus, Smotrich stated, “if we take out 5,000 [Palestinians from Gaza] a day, it would take a year.” (March 09, 2025)
• Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has declared an immediate and total cutoff of electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip. Former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the decision, calling for Gaza to be plunged into immediate and total darkness and urging the bombing of fuel depots supplying the Strip. (March 09, 2025)
• Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticised the Israeli government’s incessant promises to reignite the war on Gaza and resume military operations. Lapid questioned the government’s objective behind the resumption of hostilities and stated that it would only threaten the lives of Israeli hostages. He noted that the government has unjustifiably repeatedly rejected all proposals put forward so far, without providing a clear alternative. (March 10, 2025)
• The Washington Post has reported that Israel is set to enforce strict new regulations on aid organizations assisting Palestinians. These rules grant officials broad authority to deny NGO registrations and require organizations to submit the names and contact details of their Palestinian employees— a move that endangers staff and undermines relief efforts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. (March 15, 2025)

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

• The UN Special Rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Francesca Albanese, has warned that Israel’s cutting off electricity to Gaza has shut down desalination stations and, leaving people without clean water. She argued that the failure to impose sanctions or an arms embargo on Israel renders other states complicit in what she described as one of history’s most preventable genocides. (March 09, 2025)
• OCHA has expressed deep concern over Israel’s restriction of electricity to Gaza, warning it will severely impact drinking water access for 600,000 people by halting operations at the South Gaza Desalination Plant, supported by UNICEF. Humanitarian Coordinator Muhannad Hadi stressed that humanitarian aid has been blocked for nine days, depriving over two million Palestinians of vital supplies amid dire living conditions, and called for immediate, unhindered entry of aid. (March 12, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stressed that Palestinians’ rights remain intact regardless of UNRWA’s existence, warning that dismantling the agency would only deepen their suffering. He condemned Israel’s Knesset ban on UNRWA, noting it targets not just the agency but also individuals and organisations advocating for Palestinian rights and international humanitarian law. Lazzarini highlighted Israel’s broader crackdown on international organisations, citing legislative efforts to silence NGOs already facing restrictions. (March 10, 2025)
• UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, challenged Zionist claims about Israel’s “right to exist,” questioning whether it applies to land taken by force in 1947–1949 or the entire territory “from the river to the sea.” She asserted that Israel has no legal right to exist in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, stressing that its presence there violates international law, the UN Charter, and ICJ rulings. (March 10, 2025)
• The U.S. federal immigration authorities (ICE) have detained Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, who played a key role in Columbia University protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Khalil’s detention has been perceived as an escalation of US President Donald Trump’s pledge to arrest and deport student activists. Khalil’s lawyers have filed a petition for his immediate release, arguing that his detention violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Court documents revealed that the decision was based on a rarely used law, while Khalil’s counsel asserted that the U.S. administration is using his case to target advocates of Palestinian rights. A federal judge has halted Khalil’s deportation and scheduled a hearing for his case later in the week. (March 10–13, 2025)
• President of the Arab Parliament, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Yamahi, has condemned the Israeli Minister of Energy’s decision to cut off power to the Gaza Strip, warning that the move is considered a war crime and collective punishment. The condemnations were similarly echoed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait. Similarly, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib stated that Israel’s order to cut all electricity supply to Gaza a week after cutting aid supplies will only exacerbate the existing dramatic humanitarian crisis in the Strip. (March 10-11, 2025)
• Thameen Al-Kheetan, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has emphasised Israel’s complete blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza as a violation of its obligations under international law. He urged the international community to prevent the return of famine in the Strip. (March 10, 2025)
• The Dutch Parliament has adopted an amendment to a proposal by MP Daniel Hirsch, highlighting that illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank obstruct a two-state solution. The amendment called on the Dutch government to advocate for sanctions against individuals involved in illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank. (March 14, 2025)
• In cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Health , UNICEF and Government of Japan have signed a US$ 3.8 million agreement to launch the “Improving Access to Health and Nutrition Services for Vulnerable Children and Women Palestine.” The main goal of the project is to provide critical health care and nutrition services to an estimated 180,000 children, women, and families in Gaza and the West Bank over the next 12 months. (March 11, 2025)
• Addressing the UN Security Council, European Commission Vice-President and High Representative Kaja Kallas stressed the need to protect global security amid escalating crises. She highlighted the strain on the Gaza ceasefire and urged both sides to uphold their commitments to ensure the success of Phase Two talks. Kallas affirmed the EU’s support for the Arab Recovery Plan and its cooperation with Arab partners on reconstruction efforts. (March 11, 2025)
• The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned Israeli violations against Palestinians, particularly the targeting of mosques during Ramadan. It denounced Israeli forces’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the confiscation of loudspeakers, restrictions on worshippers, and settlers’ attacks on mosques in the West Bank. (March 11, 2025)
• Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide highlighted the worsening situation in Palestine since the initial ceasefire period ended. He stressed the need to extend the ceasefire to secure a lasting cessation of hostilities, facilitate hostage releases, ensure military withdrawal, and begin Gaza’s reconstruction. Eide strongly criticised Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid and suspension of electricity, calling it a violation of international law. He warned that cutting power would cripple desalination plants, restrict food production, and hinder hospital operations, depriving Palestinians of basic necessities. (March 11, 2025)
• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugee (UNRWA) has announced that thousands of children in Gaza are returning to learning through the UNRWA’s ‘Temporary Learning Spaces’ initiative. It also introduced a new distance learning programme which will provide Gazan students with activities and psychosocial support. (March 12, 2025)
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced that it will hold public hearings on Monday April 28, 2025, in The Hague as part of the advisory proceedings in relation to its advisory opinion on the “Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” The hearings follow the lodging of 45 written statements to the Court by states and international organisations, including the UN, OIC, League of Arab States, Palestine, France, the United States, China, and Russia. (March 12, 2025)
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that an 11-day halt in aid entry to Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, water and medical services. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that only 16% of health facilities in northern Gaza are functional, including just three hospitals, six medical points, and four clinics. (March 12, 2025)
• During a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, US President Donald Trump stated that “nobody is expelling any Palestinians” from the enclave, in direct opposition to his previous proclamations that its population should be relocated to other Arab states. (March 13, 2025)
• The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has reported that Israel has systematically used sexual, reproductive, and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians since October 7, 2023. The report asserted that Israel committed crimes of genocide through the systematic destruction of reproductive health care facilities in Gaza and the denial of humanitarian aid, which has resulted in maternal deaths. (March 14, 2025)
• The German Foreign Ministry has condemned Israel’s blockade of all humanitarian aid to Gaza and the cutoff of electricity as “unacceptable” and violations of international law. It urged the international community to take action, stating that aid must not be used as a political bargaining chip. (March 13, 2025)
• Dutch MPs have urged the government to apply maximum pressure on Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza, condemning the use of starvation as a weapon and the collective punishment of Palestinians. They stressed that the Netherlands has both a moral and constitutional duty to oppose these violations. Two MPs submitted a motion calling on the government to lobby the Council of the European Union to impose sanctions on Netanyahu’s government if the blockade remains in place. Another motion urged the European Commission to investigate Israel’s compliance with Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Some MPs also called on the Dutch government to condemn the blockade and use the EU-Israel Association Agreement as leverage to improve Palestinian human rights. (March 13, 2025)
• The Charge d’Affaires at the Saudi Embassy in Jordan, Mohammed bin Hassan Moanes, delivered the kingdom’s annual financial support of US$ 2 million to UNRWA, enabling it to meet its financial commitments and support UNRWA in providing education and health programmes for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. (March 14, 2025)
• The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of deteriorating food security in Gaza and the West Bank. Since March 2, no food supplies have entered Gaza due to border closures, while food insecurity in the West Bank due to displacement and movement restrictions. (March 14, 2025)
• The Group of Seven (G7) has reaffirmed support for unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. They stressed the need for a political solution for the Palestinian people, and expressed serious concern over escalating tensions in the West Bank. (March 14, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has announced that more than 270,000 children in Gaza are enrolled in UNRWA’s education programme. The agency has opened 130 temporary learning spaces in schools and shelters, allowing 47,000 children to continue in-person education. (March 15, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has reported Israel’s lockdown on all crossings into Gaza, blocking entry of humanitarian aid, including essential shelter materials like tents, tarps and bedding. The Council emphasised that adequate shelter not only provides physical protection to the Palestinians but ensures safety, privacy, comfort, and emotional security. (March 9, 2025)
• Amnesty International stated that Israel’s decision to cut off electricity to Gaza’s main operational desalination plant, only a week after blocking entry of fuel and food, is a flagrant violation of  international humanitarian law and further substantiates proof of the Israeli genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip. (March 10, 2025)
• While the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has acknowledged the vitality of the ceasefire in saving lives and facilitating delivery of humanitarian aid, it stressed that the humanitarian crisis has not nearly ended. ICRC highlighted the insufficiency of aid brought in during the ceasefire, as it does not meet the vast needs on the ground. It warned that the suspension of aid entry and cutting off power from the only water desalination plant in the territory could further place Gaza into an acute humanitarian emergency. (March 10, 2025)
• B’Tselem’s report, “Gaza Doctrine: The West Bank Is Under Fire,” reveals that upon the Gaza ceasefire, Israel added “increased offensive activity” in the West Bank to its war objectives. This has intensified oppression, including arbitrary violence, mass arrests, severe movement restrictions, and permit cancellations. The report also highlights expanded open-fire policies, farmland restrictions devastating livelihoods, and the transformation of detention facilities into torture camps. (March 10, 2025)
• Following Energy Minister Eli Cohen’s decision to cut the last remaining electricity line from Israel to Gaza and reports of plans to completely halt water supply, Gisha and other human rights groups submitted an urgent request to the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) for an interim injunction. The request seeks to prevent Israel from blocking humanitarian aid, cutting off water, and stopping electricity sales to Gaza. It was submitted as part of a year-old petition, during which the HCJ has repeatedly delayed a definitive ruling on Israel’s obligations in Gaza. (March 10, 2025)
• Al-Haq’s report, Ensuring Genocide: The Insurance Industry and Israel’s War Machine, exposes global insurance firms’ complicity in genocide and dispossession in Palestine. It names Allianz, Aviva, AIG, and AXA for investing millions in defense companies supplying Israel, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Elbit Systems. The report also highlights successful campaigns against insurers like AXA and stresses the power of public action to end their complicity. (March 10, 2025)
• 7amleh Center – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media has released its annual report titled, “Racism and Incitement Index 2024”, revealing a concerning rise in hate speech and digital violence against Palestinians on social media platforms, X and Facebook. According to the report, a whopping 12,482,041 inciting and violent posts in Hebrew were recorded throughout 2024. The report documented targeted incitement against Palestinians from Jerusalem, with 8,484 inciting posts recorded specifically against them. Additionally, the report highlighted the failure of social media platforms to effectively monitor and address hate speech against Palestinians. (March 11, 2025)
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) strongly condemned Israel’s siege on Gaza, accusing it of deliberately weaponising humanitarian aid as a bargaining tool. MSF urged Israel’s allies, including the United States, to reject such tactics and take decisive action to prevent further devastation in Gaza. (March 11, 2025)
• Physicians for Human Rights has released its 2024 annual report titled, “A Year of Struggle for Survival and Hope,” documenting Gaza’s fragile healthcare system due to years of blockade and occupation and nearing collapse. The report highlights that medical facilities and healthcare workers have been targeted, while essential medicines remained unavailable throughout the year, leading to a severe disruption of basic medical services. (March 12, 2025)
• A group of human rights and civil society organisations issued a joint statement stating that Israel is ignoring the fundamental requests of the EU’s core human rights requests. They considered the outcomes of the EU-Israel Association Council meeting on February 24, 2025, to be a significant failure, showing the EU’s ‘appalling low voice, akin to complicity in Israel’s gross violations of international law and human rights.’ Only days after the meeting, Israel showed its complete disrespect for the EU’s core human rights law and humanitarian law requests by enforcing a complete blocking of humanitarian aid into Gaza.” (March 12, 2025)
• Responding to a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) regarding Israel’s perpetration of sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence against Palestinians, Amnesty International remarked that the findings are a further illustration of the devastating impact of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its use of gender-based violence to oppress Palestinian women and girls across the oPt. (March 13, 2025)

Opinion Pieces and features

• Mondoweiss published an op-ed by Alice Rothchild titled, “The fabricated panic over antisemitism in the U.S. medical community conceals an attack on Palestinians.” (March 09, 2025)
• The Intercept published an article by Natasha Lennard titled, “If Trump Can Deport Mahmoud Khalil, Freedom of Speech Is Dead.” (March 10, 2025)
• Middle East Eye published a report by Sondos Asem tilted, “ International law explained: What are genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity?” (March 10, 2025)
• The New York Times published an op-ed by Michelle Goldberg titled, “This Is the Greatest Threat to Free Speech Since the Red Scare.” (March 10, 2025)
• CounterPunch published an article by Ramzy Baroud titled, “From Gaza to Syria: The Unyielding Reality of Israeli Settler Colonialism.” (March 11, 2025)
• The Nation published an article by Dima Khalidi titled, “Mahmoud Khalil’s Abduction Is a Red Alert for Universities.” (March 11, 2025)
• Mondoweiss published an op-ed by Ahmad Ibsais titled, “When speaking up for Palestine becomes a crime” (March 11, 2025)
• The Washington Post Editorial Board published an op-ed titled, “The Khalil case is a threat to First Amendment rights.” (March 12, 2025)
• Vox published an article by Abdallah Fayyad titled, “What does Israel’s “right to self-defense” actually mean?” (March 14, 2025)