PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE – Issue.274

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

30 March – 5 April 2025

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

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

Translation: Maisaa Abdelqader and Ferdous Abdul Hamid

Editing: Ihsan Adel

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 National Council condemned the approval of the Israeli occupation’s Security Cabinet of a plan to construct a road connecting Al-Eizariya and Al-Za’im, as part of their settlement annexation scheme to integrate the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and impose a new colonial reality in occupied Jerusalem and its Judaization. The Council also stated that the brutal massacres and executions carried out by Israeli forces against medical teams from the Palestinian Red Crescent and Civil Defence in Gaza constitute deliberate killings. It held the Western community and the U.S. administration fully responsible for the continuation of these massacres. (March 30, 2025)
• Head of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Raed Abu Hommus, commented on the investigation published by the British newspaper “The Independent” regarding the brutal treatment of Palestinian prisoners. He stated that “the failure of international organisations to uphold their humanitarian and moral responsibilities, using the occupation’s refusal to cooperate as an excuse, has contributed to create an unprecedented reality in the history of the Palestinian Captive Movement. He also stressed the urgency of international intervention to put an end to these Israeli crimes and to ensure access to the military facilities that have been turned into detention centers, where some of the most horrific abuses and crimes are believed to be taking place.” ( March 31, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Hungary, Fadi Elhusseini, has formally requested official clarification from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the potential visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The request comes amid widespread international opposition, particularly following the issuance of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court. (April 1, 2025)
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the storming of the territory of the State of Palestine by Israeli Ministers of Defense and Finance, Katz and Smotrich, describing it as a blatant disregard for the international community and the resolutions of international legitimacy. The Ministry also denounced the colonial and racist statements made by the two ministers—which call for the undermining of Palestinian state institutions and the expansion and entrenchment of settlement activity—as dangerous incitement that is being translated into action on the ground by settlers. (April 1, 2025)
• The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs of Palestine denounced the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, considering it as a heinous crime and assault on sanctities and Islamic places of worship that have become subject to daily violations by the settlers. The Ministry called on international institutions to act immediately to defend the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. (April 2, 2025)

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

• The High Court of Justice unanimously rejected petitions by rights groups concerning the humanitarian situation in Gaza, emphasizing that Israel had not violated legal prohibitions against using starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare or as a form of collective punishment. The Court asserted that Israel has taken various measures to address the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s civilian population during the ongoing war. It also dismissed the claim that Gaza is currently under a “belligerent occupation” by Israel, stating that at least two of the three conditions required to establish such an occupation—namely, effective control over the territory and the ability to exercise governing authority—have not been met in Gaza’s case. ( March 30, 2025)
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the combination of military and political pressure is the only way to recover the hostages, stressing that the government has decided to increase military pressure to “ crush Hamas’s capabilities and create conditions for the hostages’ release”, adding that Israel is ready to discuss the “ final stage” involving the disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s assumption of responsibility for public security in Gaza, and the implementation of “ Trump Plan and Voluntary migration Plan”.      ( March 30, 2025)
• The Political- Security Cabinet ( Israel’s Security Cabinet) approved Israeli Defense Minister Katz’s proposal to pave alternative roads in areas East of Jerusalem, as part of a project involving two bypass roads to promote settlement in Area E1. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated “We continue to strengthen the security of Israeli citizens and expand our settlements,” while the Defense Minister Israel Katz considered that the decision would “reinforce the settlements, boost security, enhance the welfare of all residents in the area, and strengthen our hold on Judea and Samaria” (West Bank). ( March 30, 2025)
• The Israeli military’s spokesman in Arabic, Avichay Adraee, announced a sweeping evacuation order for wide-range areas in Rafah, calling on Palestinians to immediately move to shelter in al-Mawasi area as Israel ramps up its military operation in Gaza. Adraee issued an ultimatum to residents of Beit Hanoun and surrounding areas, warning of an imminent raid. He claimed that “ terrorist organizations” were firing rockets from among civilians, noting that these areas had received previous warnings. ( March 31- April 1, 2025)
• Israeli Defense and Finance Ministers, Katz and Bezalel Smotrich, toured the West Bank, reaffirming their commitment to Jewish settlements and cracking down on “ illegal” Palestinian construction. Katz stressed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas should not be allowed to use illegal construction as a tool to create a strategic threat against the settlements, while Smotrich cited that since 1967, there has not been such a transformation in the West Bank, adding that the government has recognized 28 new communities and is enforcing regulations in areas that were previously ignored. Katz reaffirmed that “The West Bank is the heart of Israel, and we will protect it with every means necessary,” and Smotrich stressed “ Judea and Samaria are our ancestral homeland, and we are here to stay.” ( April 1, 2025)
• The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated / here that the military operation in Gaza has entered a “shifted gears” focused on “seizing territory”. He announced the establishment of a new corridor called the “Morag Corridor”, referring to a former Israeli settlement located between Rafah and Khan Younis. He added: “We are now cutting off the strip and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that [Hamas] will give us our hostages,” stressing that “the more they do not give, the more the pressure will increase until they do.” (April 2, 2025)
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded Hungary for its “bold and principled” decision to leave the International Criminal Court, adding that “ it’s important for all democracies to stand up to this corrupt organisation.” ( April 3, 2025)

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

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported the completion of a complex, week-long recovery operation in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, during which the bodies of 15 health and rescue workers were recovered: eight from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six from the Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD), and one from the United Nations. These individuals were killed when ambulance and aid teams, searching for their missing colleagues, came under attack by Israeli forces—an act OCHA described as a blatant violation of international law. The Director-General of the World Health Organization described the incident as deplorable and expressed that WHO is gravely concerned about the well-being of ambulance worker As’ad Al-Nsasra, who is still missing. ( March 31-31, 2025)
• The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the Israeli authorities’ ratification of a settlement road-building project in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem), intended to reinforce the connection between Israeli settlements—in blatant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. The OIC warned of the grave implications of this move, which forms part of a broader plan to annex the Maale Adumim settlement to occupied Al-Quds and sever the city from its Palestinian surroundings, thereby undermining the two-state solution. The Organisation renewed its call on the international community, particularly the Security Council, to assume its responsibilities by compelling Israel to halt its policies of settlement expansion, annexation, forced displacement, and genocide against the Palestinian people. (March 31, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned Israeli authorities’ issuing of new forced displacement orders in Rafah affecting over 140,000 people, causing widespread panic and despair amid an already ongoing death, destruction, and suffering in Gaza. Lazzarini pointed out that the people of Gaza are being treated like pinballs, with constant military orders playing with their fate and lives. Lazzarini condemned the world’s silence in the face of this humanitarian catastrophe and called for an immediate ceasefire to end what he describes as a “hell on earth”. (March 31, 2025)
• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini confirmed the killing of two additional UNRWA staff members, This brings the death toll of aid workers killed to 408, among them more than 280 UNRWA staff since the war began. This represents a grave and blatant disregard for international law. Lazzarini pointed out that in Gaza, these killings have become routine,” stressing the urgent need for accountability. (March 31, 2025)
• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that the breakdown of the ceasefire and resumption of intense bombardments and ground operations in the Gaza Strip has reportedly left at least 322 children dead and 609 injured over the past 10 days. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell described the ceasefire as a “lifeline,” urging all parties to protect children in accordance with international humanitarian law. Russell also stressed the need to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of the wounded, and urged states with influence to intervene to stop the conflict. (April 1, 2025)
• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that ongoing hostilities in Gaza are causing further civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure. It stated that continuous Israeli evacuation orders are forcing civilians to move throughout the Strip, shrinking the space available for shelter. The latest orders, OCHA noted, have affected almost the entire Rafah governorate. These orders deprive civilians of essential services necessary for their survival, while the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza remains suspended. OCHA also reported that all 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme have shut down due to a lack of flour and cooking gas, as border crossings have remained closed for a month. (April 1, 2025)
• The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, stated that Israeli Forces airstrikes hit an UNRWA building in Jabalia, Northern Gaza, sheltering over 700 displaced people, killing a number of civilians, among those killed are reportedly nine children, including a two-week-old baby. The Commissioner clarified that the building was previously a health centre, heavily damaged earlier in the war, noting that displaced families stayed at the shelter because they had nowhere else to go. Adding that more than 300 UN buildings have been damaged or destroyed, even though all their coordinates are regularly shared with the warring parties. (April 2, 2025)
• The Jordanian and Qatari Ministries of Foreign Affairs condemn the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the targeting of an UNRWA clinic in the Jabalia refugee camp in Northern Gaza, resulting in the martyrdom of 19 citizens, including children, and scores of wounded. Alongside Saudi Arabia, the Arab Parliament, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, they also condemned the incursion of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli Minister of National Security, considering it a violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites. (April 2, 2025)
• United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grave concern over the human toll resulting from the escalating hostilities in Gaza, condemning the killing of more than one thousand people, including women and children, since the collapse of the ceasefire. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that the large-scale Israeli shelling and ground operations have resulted in widespread destruction and the displacement of more than 100,000 Palestinians from Rafah in the past two days alone, most of whom have been displaced multiple times. “The Secretary-General  is shocked by  the attack of the Israeli army on a medical and emergency convoy on 23 March, resulting in the killing of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian workers in Gaza” said the spokesperson. (April 2, 2025)
• Norway strongly condemned the attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza, with reports that up to fifteen humanitarian workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent, the Palestinian Civil Defence and the UN have been killed and found buried in the sand. Norway stressed that targeted attacks on humanitarian workers are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law, stressing the need to protect them and hold accountable those responsible for such violations. (April 2, 2025)
• The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), arrived in Hungary, a member state of the Court. The ICC had previously called on member states to cooperate in arresting and surrendering Netanyahu. Simultaneously, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the submission of a draft law to parliament proposing Hungary’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the ICC, in protest against the arrest warrant against Netanyahu. The ministry described the warrant as “anti-Semitic” and “politically motivated.” The Prime Minister stated that Hungary cannot participate in a “politicized international court,” while praising economic and defense cooperation with Israel and reaffirming the continued partnership between the two sides. (April 3–4, 2025)
• The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute expressed regret at the Government of Hungary’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, and stressed that Hungary is not exempt from the obligations arising from the Rome Statute while it remains a party to the Statute. The Netherlands also emphasized that Hungary must continue to meet its duties until its withdrawal from the ICC is complete, which will take about a year. (April 3, 2025)
• The Government of Pakistan condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the Israeli continued aggression and atrocities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza. The government denounced Israel’s latest military offensive aimed at establishing new security corridors, including the illegal seizure of the Morag Corridor and further annexation of Palestinian land. Pakistan expressed its concern about the sacrilegious storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex by Israeli occupying forces, during the holy occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, considering it a serious escalation that violates Islamic Sanctities. Pakistan stressed the need to stop the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, affirming its support for the establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders. (April 3, 2025)
• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, expressing concern over the resumption of Israeli military operations. The French Foreign Minister condemned the attacks that have hit humanitarian staff and signalled France’s commitment to a renewed ceasefire, the release of all the hostages, and negotiations with a view to a credible plan for the “day after”, in accordance with the proposals put forward in the Arab plan for Gaza. He recalled that, in the summer, France and Saudi Arabia will chair an international conference in support of the two-state solution, the only solution that can guarantee peace, justice and security to both Israelis and Palestinians, according to the Minister. (April 3, 2025)
• James Turpin, an official at the United Nations Office for Human Rights, expressed concern over the forced displacement in Gaza and Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid, describing these actions as serious violations of international law. He also warned against the excessive use of force against Palestinians, the ongoing settlement expansion, and the displacement of thousands. Turpin noted that the transfer of powers from the military to the government facilitates the annexation of the West Bank, where around 737,000 settlers reside. He called on Israel to halt settlement activity, evacuate settlements, compensate Palestinians, and end the occupation following rulings by the International Court of Justice. (3 April 2025)
• UN independent human rights experts urged States to take concrete action to end Israel’s impunity, calling for them to join the “Hague Group,” established on 31 January 2025 as a flagship platform coordinating efforts to ensure accountability for Israeli breaches of international law and to uphold decisions by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The experts affirmed that most States’ continued failure to meet their obligations may render them complicit in internationally wrongful acts, as concluded by the Court. They also welcomed efforts by some States—particularly those preventing the transfer of arms, munitions, and related goods to Israel, as well as the docking of vessels under their territorial jurisdiction. ( April 3, 2025)
• The International Court of Justice announced that Nicaragua had decided to withdraw its application for permission to intervene in the case brought by South Africa against Israel concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip, which it had submitted on 23 January 2024 under Article 62 of the Statute of the Court. ( April 3, 2025)
• In his briefing to the Security Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned that there is a high and growing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He noted that Israeli military operations since 1 March have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, including at least 320 children, while since 7 October 2023, the number of casualties in Gaza has exceeded 50,400, with more than 114,000 injured. The Commissioner affirmed that the blockade and siege imposed on Gaza amounted to collective punishment and may also constitute the use of starvation as a method of war. He expressed concern about the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the seizing, annexing, and division of territory by force, and referred to the continued expansion of settlements and extrajudicial killings in the West Bank. He stressed that the only way forward is a political settlement based on two states living side by side in equal dignity and rights. (April 3, 2025)
• At its Fifty-eighth session, the Human Rights Council adopted two resolutions: one on “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” (A/HRC/58/L.31), and another on “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan” (A/HRC/58/L.32). The Council reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, rejected the settlement policy, and emphasized the need to end the occupation and provide international protection for the Palestinian people. (April 4, 2025)
• The Foreign Ministries of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq, along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), condemned Israel’s bombing of the “Dar Al-Arqam” school, which was sheltering displaced persons in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood in Eastern Gaza City. They also condemned the destruction of a medical supplies warehouse belonging to the Saudi Centre for Culture and Heritage in the Morag area east of Rafah. The OIC called on the UN Security Council to act under Chapter VII to stop the aggression and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. (April 4, 2025)

Publications of human rights NGOs

• The Independent published a special investigation by international correspondent Bel Trew, revealing serious human rights violations against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. The brutal treatment includes physical assault, electric shocks, sexual violence, sleep deprivation, and psychological torture through the prolonged use of loud music. The investigation is based on testimonies and medical reports documenting the torture and ill-treatment, as well as forensic reports and testimonies from former Israeli soldiers. ( March 29, 2025)
• The Palestinian Red Crescent expressed its deep shock over the martyrdom of eight of its paramedics in Rafah, while medic As’ad Al-Nsasra remains missing. The organization demands an immediate investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies condemned the attack, describing it as the single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017. The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed profound outrage and stressed the need to respect medical personnel and Relief teams. (March 30, 2025)
• On the Anniversary of Land Day, the International Commission to Support the Palestinian People (ICSPR) called on the International Community to Stop the Genocidal War in Gaza and Confront Colonial Annexation, Forced Displacement, and Land Confiscation by the Israeli Occupation. The Commission urged the UN Security Council to expedite the enforcement of its resolution to ceasefire and to ensure the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid. It also called for the achievement of Palestinian national unity. (March 30, 2025)
• The organization Peace Now stated that the decision to construct a road between Al-Eizariya and Al-Za’im aims to facilitate the annexation of 3% of the West Bank to Israel by creating separate roads for Israelis and Palestinians. This would effectively close off the heart of the West Bank to Palestinians and integrate the Ma’ale Adumim area and surrounding settlements into Israel. The organization added that the Israeli government is using funds derived from the revenues of controlling the occupied territories to finance this project, even though these funds are legally designated for the Palestinian population. It emphasized that the true objective is to turn the Ma’ale Adumim area and nearby settlements into part of Israel, isolating Palestinians from the region and reinforcing a policy of segregation and apartheid. (March 30, 2025)
• The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement called for preventing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from traveling to Hungary on April 2, stressing that no state that claims to respect international law should allow him airspace passage, let alone receive him on its territory. The movement affirmed that states signatories to the Rome Statute are legally obligated to enforce arrest warrants issued by the Court, including the surrender of wanted individuals. It also pointed out that the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently clarified that heads of state don’t enjoy immunity from ICC arrest warrants. (March 31, 2025)
• In light of Hungary hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Amnesty International affirmed that Netanyahu is accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. The organization described the visit as “a cynical effort to undermine the ICC and its work, and is an insult to the victims of these crimes who are looking to the Court for justice”. It called on Hungary, as a state party to the Rome Statute, to arrest and surrender him to the Court. Human Rights Watch echoed the same position. Amnesty International also sent an open letter to the President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, urging decisive action regarding the visit and calling for immediate measures to curb any attempts to undermine the Court. (April 1, 2025)
• Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)(MSF) warned that the siege imposed by Israeli authorities in Gaza for over a month has led to a severe shortage of essential medicines, putting the Palestinian population at risk of losing access to vital healthcare. The organization noted that no aid trucks or commercial supplies have entered the Strip since the full siege began on March 2, while electricity has been cut off since March 9, causing water desalination plants to shut down. MSF called on Israel to immediately end this “inhumane” siege and uphold its responsibilities as an occupying power. (April 2, 2025)
• The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights condemned the hosting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Hungary as a clear assault on the rule of law and international justice mechanisms. As a member state of the ICC, Hungary is under a legal obligation to execute the arrest warrants. ( April 2, 2025)
• Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, sharply criticized Hungary for receiving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without arresting him, stating that “Hungary is effectively giving a seal of approval to Israel’s genocide—namely, the physical destruction of the Palestinian people, in whole or in part, in Gaza.”. Callamard emphasized that “Hungary’s purported withdrawal from the ICC is a brazen and futile attempt to evade international justice and to stymy the ICC’s work”. She added that “this cynical announcement does not change the fact that Hungary still has a fundamental obligation to arrest and surrender Benjamin Netanyahu to the ICC. Any withdrawal would take effect in one year and must not distract from Hungary’s international legal obligations.” (April 4, 2025)

Research and academic studies (in Arabic and English):

• The Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research published a research paper by Bhavya Jain titled: ” Relevancy of International Law in Israeli- Palestine Conflict: Has International Law Failed?” (March 2025)

Opinion Pieces and Features

• Haaretz published an opinion piece titled: “In Gaza, Almost every IDF Platoon Keeps a Human Shield, a Sub-army of Palestinian Slaves.” (March 30, 2025)
• The Ethichalist published an article by Gillian Piggott titled: “ Preserving Palestine: The Archive Resisting Nakba Denial.” ( March 30, 2025)
• The Intercept published an article by Hanno Hauenstein titled: “Germany turns to U.S. Playbook: Deportations target Gaza War protesters.” (March 31, 2025)
• +972 Magazine published an article by Meron Rapoport titled: “Israel’s latest vision for Gaza has a name: Concentration camp.” (April 1, 2025)
• Middle East Eye published an op-ed by Joe Gill titled: “Red Crescent massacre: Palestinians are betrayed in a world ruled by outlaws.” ( April 1, 2025)
• Middle East Eye published an article by Awad Abdelfattah titled: ” War on Gaza: How Palestinians are resisting existential despair.” (April 2, 2025)
• PassBlue published an article by Damilola Banjo titled: “Hard Questions Remain on Recent Killing of 15 Aid Workers by Israel.” (April 3, 2025)
• The Guardian published an op-ed by Hanno Hauenstein titled: “Germany is now deporting pro-Palestine EU citizens. This is a chilling new step.” ( April 3, 2025)