Amnesty International pressures EU on 'Board of Peace'
EU foreign ministers must use their upcoming meeting with Nikolai Mladenov, director-general of the Board of Peace (BoP) and "High Representative" for Gaza, to ensure that Palestinians' rights are among the board's highest priorities, Amnesty International urged in a statement Feb. 23.
"The 'Board of Peace' is a dangerous assault on international law, a mechanism designed to bypass the UN, weaken international justice institutions, and entrench the power dynamics that have long enabled Israel's unlawful occupation, apartheid, and ongoing genocide in Gaza," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, senior director for research and advocacy at Amnesty International.
Guevara-Rosas added: "Any EU engagement that does not place Palestinians' rights at its core risks complicity in violations, which are [more] likely to occur if this fundamentally flawed mechanism is not urgently made rights-compliant and aligned with international law."
Guevara-Rosas further urged: "The EU and its member states must be absolutely clear: this body is no substitute for the UN, the international human rights framework, or the global justice system painstakingly built over decades to uphold universal values, cooperation, and equality."
On Jan, 22, US President Donald Trump ratified the Charter of the Board of Peace, establishing the board as an official international organization. Trump serves as the chairman, with no mechanism for succession. Last November, the UN Security Council endorsed the BoP in Resolution 2803, as an international entity to maintain peace and security in Gaza, develop its infrastructure, disarm militants, and establish a viable Palestinian Authority.
Notably, the BoP Charter does not actually include any mention of Gaza, and Israeli news reports indicate that the US envisions the BoP resolving other global conflicts. Ali Khan, emeritus professor at the Washburn University School of Law, argues that "the BoP's expanded scope in the Charter conflicts with Resolution 2803 and diverts attention from the work needed in Gaza to Trump's self-authorizing roving agenda to settle wars."
From JURIST, Feb. 23. Used with permission. Internal links added.
Aid groups face expulsion from Gaza, West Bank
Dozens of humanitarian aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, face expulsion from Gaza and the West Bank as soon as this weekend, unless they hand over detailed personal information about their staff to Israeli authorities. (PRI)
Reprieve for aid groups in Gaza and West Bank
Israel's High Court has temporarily halted a ban on international aid groups from working in the occupied Palestinian territories unless they meet strict new rules. The injunction came ahead of an Israeli deadline for 37 well-known organizations to stop work, something the groups warn will remove a lifeline for vulnerable people and cause "irreparable harm." (BBC News)
Gaza braces for renewed siege
Israel's widening war with Iran is deepening Gaza's humanitarian crisis, as new security measures effectively seal the territory off from the outside world. Israel, on Feb. 28, closed all crossings into Gaza—including the Rafah border with Egypt—while also tightening movement restrictions and carrying out raids across the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces killed two Palestinian men in one March 2 raid.
The restrictions came as Israeli and US attacks on Iran triggered an eruption of air and missile strikes across the region. Despite the reopening of the Rafah crossing on March 3, aid groups have warned that the remaining closures are swiftly draining supplies. Food stocks could run out within days, and panic buying and price spikes are spreading. The measures have revived memories of last year's famine, which caused hundreds of hunger-related deaths. (TNH)
Human development in Gaza set back by 77 years
The UN and the European Union on April 20 released their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), estimating Gaza’s recovery needs at $71.4 billion over the next decade.
The RDNA states: "The scale and extent of deprivation across living conditions, livelihoods/income, food security, gender equality, and social inclusion, have pushed back human development in the Gaza Strip by 77 years." This is reflected in the projected collapse of the Human Development Index (HDI) to 0.339 on the 1.0 scale.
The report found an estimated $35.2 billion in physical damages and $22.7 billion in economic losses. The greatest needs fall within a few key sectors requiring billions in funding commitments. This includes $16.2 billion for housing, $10.5 billion for agriculture and food systems, $10 billion for health, and commerce and industry requiring $9 billion.
Less than 50% of hospitals remain even partially functional. Nearly 1.2 million Palestinians have lost their housing, and 1.9 million have been displaced, often numerous times. The report also addressed the severe impacts on women and the mental health needs of nearly 100 percent of children.
More than 71,000 Palestinian fatalities and over 171,000 injuries, resulting in a vast increase in disabilities, have been reported in the last two years. Many people remain missing under the rubble. (Jurist)
EU declines to suspend Israel trade agreement
A panel of UN experts on April 20 unsuccessfully pleaded with the European Union to immediately suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement at the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg held on Tuesday.
A motion to suspend the agreement was supported by Spain, Slovenia and Ireland. However, Germany and Italy blocked the bid. Ireland and Spain had pushed to suspend the agreement in 2024, spurring findings that Israel had “likely” breached its obligations under the agreement.
The EU is Israel’s top trade partner. Through the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Israel gains preferential access to European markets and "tariff-free entry of key agricultural products."
Arguing for the agreement’s suspension, the expert panel cited Article 2, which states that all parties to the agreement must respect human rights and democratic principles. (Jurist)