NGO Action News – 06 February 2025

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This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations working on the question of Palestine. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.

You may find previous issues of the NGO Action News in Spanish here.

You may find issues of the NGO Action News in French here.

You may find issues of the NGO Action News in Arabic here.

Middle East

• Several organisations published articles and statements after the United States President Trump revealed on 4 February his plan for the mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Al Haq and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, among other organisations, stated that this plan crossed all red lines that defied the international legal system.
• On 4 February, Al-Shabaka published the policy brief “Gaza’s Telecommunications: Occupied and Destroyed”. It examined the devastating impact of the Israeli actions on Gaza’s telecommunications infrastructure and internet access. It also presented actionable recommendations for the international community to support enhanced digital access in Gaza and break its technological dependence on Israel.
• On 4 February, Gisha informed that the Rafah Crossing, south of Gaza, reopened for the movement of people after being closed since early May 2024 following Israel’s invasion of Rafah and its takeover of the Palestinian side of the crossing. The opening of the crossing allowed patients to exit the Strip with their companions, and is part of the ceasefire arrangement that went into effect on 19 January 2025.
• On 4 February, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and al Mezan published a letter sent by hundreds of civil society organizations around the world, to Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The letter urged the European Commission to take action to ban all trade and business between the EU and Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. It added that such action was essential for the EU and its member states to comply with their obligations under international law.

• On 3 February, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights published the article “Israel’s Violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in the West Bank in January 2025”. The NGO informed that Israeli forces continued their assault on the West Bank in January by carrying out deadly airstrikes and extensive assaults that have killed 22 Palestinians, including two children, and injured dozens more. Additionally, thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, dozens of homes have been destroyed, and several more have been set on fire.
• On 3 February, the Institute for Palestine Studies published an article on the Israeli ban on UNRWA in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) which officially went into effect on 30 January. The article says that the enforcement of this ban was expected to cause a crisis across the OPT as UNRWA provides millions of Palestinian refugees with food, medical care, and education.
• On 2 February, B’Tselem informed that Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem, were operating with unchecked brutality, resulting in an unprecedented death toll. Meanwhile, settler violence was growing, and entire Palestinian communities had been expelled from their homes. The outcome of all this is an unprecedented violation of the most basic human rights of Palestinians, the NGO added.

Africa, Asia and Europe

• On 4 February, Law for Palestine published a read out of the webinar “Economic Responsibility of Third-Party States Arising from the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Palestine”. The session provided insights into the obligations of states to take effective measures against Israel’s unlawful occupation, including suspending economic, financial, and trade relations that contribute to the perpetuation of the occupation.
• On 3 February, Diakonia opened registrations for a training for the diplomatic community on international humanitarian law (IHL), which will take place in April 2025. The aim of the training is to equip participants with a foundational understanding of the international legal framework applicable in armed conflicts, and especially in situations of occupation, with a strong focus on IHL. This training is specifically tailored to the needs of members of the diplomatic community working in the context of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
• On 3 February, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor informed that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip was still dire, sixteen days after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian factions was announced. The NGO stated that nearly all forms of aid remained disrupted, and the urgent humanitarian needs of the Strip’s roughly 2.3 million residents had not been met.

North America

• On 5 February, Human Rights Watch stated that the United States will be complicit in the Israeli government’s grave violations in Gaza so long as it continues to provide arms and other military aid. The NGO added that the US should suspend military assistance and arms sales to Israel while Israeli forces commit widespread and serious abuses amounting to war crimes against Palestinian civilians with impunity. Jewish Voice for Peace published an article on this issue as well.
• On 4 February, Foundation for Middle East Peace published the webinar “Centering Human Life, Disrupting Injustice Without Replicating It”. Hilary Rantisi, Associate Director of the Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative at Harvard Divinity School, discussed her understanding of the dynamics of the current moment in the context of Palestinian history and identity, highlighting the Palestinian values of steadfastness.

United Nations

• On 5 February, the UN Palestinian Rights Committee elected the Committee Bureau and adopted the annual Programme of Work for 2025. As per usual procedure, Secretary-General Guterres participated and presided over the Bureau elections, and reaffirmed the need to keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing. The meeting included briefings by UNRWA, and Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, who highlighted the risk of starvation and genocide in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In addition, the co-founder of the NGO Gaza Soup Kitchen, Hani Almadhoun, shared his testimony of the difficult task undertaken by its organisation in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza and of the death of his brother, and co-founder of the NGO, during an Israeli attack. Discussions and proceedings were livestreamed on UN Web TV.
• On 31 January, the UN Palestinian Rights Committee Bureau issued a statement welcoming the Gaza ceasefire, demanding its full implementation and to move towards a solution of the conflict. The Bureau also condemned Israel’s ban on UNRWA, underscoring the irreplaceable role of the Agency in delivering lifesaving assistance and stabilizing the ceasefire.