NGO Action News – 08 May 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.

Middle East

• On 14 May, Scientists for Palestine and the Bisan Center will organize a webinar with Nadia Abu El-Haj, Co-Director of the Center for Palestine Studies at Columbia University. In the event, titled “After Humanitarianism,” the panelist will discuss how the current war on Gaza exposed the destruction of the post-WW2 international order and the contradictions built into its very foundation.
• On 6 May, Ir Amim released the policy paper and political roadmap “Hope from Jerusalem: 13 Principles for Future Israeli-Palestinian Peace in Jerusalem as the Capital of Two Peoples”. The NGO proposed an outline for a political resolution for Jerusalem, including steps that should be taken now to advance towards this goal, emphasizing the centrality of Jerusalem to the conflict and ultimately, to its resolution.
• On 5 May, B’Tselem issued the press release “Devastation, bombing and starvation: Israel is destroying life in Gaza”. The NGO stated that Israel has been blocking the entry of food and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip for two months, deliberately starving over two million people, including more than one million children. The NGO added that the Israeli government and other decision-makers continued to deliberately and openly order the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity that exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Al Mezan published an article on this topic as well.
• On 5 May, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights published the report “We Will Leave Them Nothing: The Israeli Systematic Destruction of the Agricultural Sector and Food Production Systems in Gaza”. According to the report, Israeli forces deliberately targeted and destroyed Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure and used destruction and starvation as weapons of war. According to the NGO, nearly 75% of farmlands and orchards have been bulldozed and obliterated during this conflict. Addameer published an article on this topic as well.
• On 3 May, Al Mezan published an article to mark World Press Freedom Day. The NGO condemned what it considers to be Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza as a calculated component of its ongoing “genocidal campaign”. Al Mezan added that between 7 October 2023 and 3 May 2025, Israeli forces killed 255 Palestinian journalists and media workers.

Africa, Asia and Europe

• On 6 May, the Norwegian Refugee Council published a press release from 55 organisations operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) calling for urgent action from the international community against new registration rules set by Israel for international NGOs, threatening the essential work of humanitarian organizations. According to the release, International NGOs already registered in Israel may face de-registration. New applicants risk rejection based on arbitrary, politicised allegations, adding that such measures not only undermine assistance in the OPT but also set a dangerous precedent for humanitarian operations globally.
• On 5 May, Agence Média Palestine published an article (in French) on the decision of Israel’s war cabinet to expand its military operations in Gaza. The NGO added that the goal of this plan was to reoccupy Gaza and maintain its control for an indefinite period. The article further reads that the Israeli war cabinet’s decision had come at a time when the humanitarian situation in Gaza was critical, exacerbated by the total blockade of humanitarian aid and goods.
• On 2 May, Amnesty International published a statement calling on Israel to immediately end its devastating siege on the occupied Gaza Strip, which the NGO added, constituted a genocidal act, a blatant form of unlawful collective punishment, and the war crime of using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. Amnesty International stated further that by blocking the entry of supplies critical for the survival of the population, Israel continued its policy of deliberately imposing conditions of life on Palestinians in Gaza calculated to bring about their physical destruction. On 7 May, the NGO also called on Israel to immediately abandon any plans for annexation in Gaza and mass forcible transfer of Palestinians
• On 1 May, the Palestinian Return Centre informed that it had initiated a diplomatic correspondence campaign targeting United Nations Member States, urging them to express full support for the ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice concerning Israel’s sustained attacks on UNRWA. The NGO also stressed to Member States that UNRWA operated under a clear mandate consistently renewed by the General Assembly since its establishment.

North America

• On 2 May, Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) published the webinar “After Nonviolence and What Comes Next in Palestine: A Conversation with Ben Ehrenreich”. Ahmed Moor, FMEP Fellow, and author Ben Ehrenreich discussed a range of topics on Israel/Palestine and U.S. policy, including West Bank Palestinians’ relationships to affecting change through nonviolent action, the Biden Administration and Democratic Party’s approaches to Palestine and Israel’s war in Gaza, and the role of the media.

United Nations

• On 15 May, the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) will convene to observe the anniversary of the Nakba – the 1948 permanent displacement of more than half of the Palestinian population from their ancestral lands. The event will be followed by the screening of the documentary “From Ground Zero”, shedding light on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and exploring the impact of conflict on civilians and the broader implications for international peace and security. On the margins of this event, the Committee will convene on 15-16 May its 1st 2025 Civil Society Consultations on “International Action Towards Ending the Nakba and Realizing the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People”. All Member States and Observers, United Nations organizations, and intergovernmental and civil society organizations are invited to attend. The events will take place in the ECOSOC Chamber at United Nations Headquarters.
• On 7 May, UN experts, including Special Rapporteurs, issued a statement calling on States to act immediately to end the violence or bear witness to the annihilation of the Palestinian population in Gaza as the Israeli aggression had transformed Gaza into a landscape of desolation, where nearly half of the casualties are children and thousands remain displaced. The group of experts cited over 52,535 deaths, of which 70% were women and children, and 118,491 injuries as of 4 May 2025. They called on States to act swiftly to end the unfolding genocide, dismantle apartheid, and secure a future in which Palestinians and Israelis coexist in freedom and dignity.
• On 6 May, the Bureau of the UN Palestinian Rights Committee issued a statement condemning the unfolding events since the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire on 18 March and the illegal blockade and siege imposed since 2 March 2025 by Israel. The Bureau called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the blockade, the sustained flow of food, water, fuel, medicine, and other essentials, and complete protection for humanitarian personnel and for the civilian population in accordance with international law. The Bureau added that it rejected any proposals to displace Palestinians from Gaza under the guise of so-called “voluntary migration” or “redevelopment” to entrench this unlawful occupation.