See also: Palestinian Bar Association statement |  Arab Lawyers Union statement

The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) condemns the ongoing Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip and calls for immediate, decisive international action to ensure the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance, temporary housing, prefabricated shelters, construction materials and essential equipment to protect the Palestinian population from the catastrophic flooding and humanitarian emergency unfolding across Gaza, amid the ongoing genocidal assault on the Palestinian people.

The devastating winter storms have flooded thousands of tents and displaced families are the foreseeable and preventable consequences of Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, its systematic destruction of homes, hospitals, roads, sewage and drainage systems, its imposition of a “yellow line” forcing the Palestinian population into concentrated areas of low ground, and its continued obstruction of the materials and equipment necessary for civilian survival.

The IADL expressly joins and endorses the urgent appeal issued by the Palestinian Bar Association on 8 November 2026, calling upon the international community, the United Nations and international and regional institutions to take immediate and effective measures to confront, intervene against and reverse the escalating humanitarian and living conditions crisis in Gaza.

The Palestinian Bar Association has emphasized the desperate conditions confronting more than a million Palestinian civilians, particularly displaced families living in tents and inadequate shelters exposed to rain, cold and strong winds, without sufficient heating, blankets, winter clothing, clean water, sanitation or medical care. The provision of adequate shelter, humanitarian relief, food, water and medical supplies is not an act of charity or political discretion, but a binding legal obligation under international humanitarian law.

The IADL fully supports the Palestinian Bar Association’s six urgent demands: the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance; adequate temporary housing and protection from winter conditions; essential food, water and medical supplies; emergency measures to address the destruction of water and sewage infrastructure and the resulting public health crisis; the protection of civilians and removal of Israeli restrictions on humanitarian relief; and the activation of international legal accountability mechanisms to end impunity for Israeli officials and complicit state officials.

As an occupying power, Israel is also bound by the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide essential supplies and facilitate humanitarian relief for the civilian population as a whole, not solely for its subordinate collaborator militias in the so-called “yellow line” areas. The International Court of Justice, in its binding provisional measures in South Africa v. Israel, ordered Israel to ensure the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed humanitarian assistance, including shelter, sanitation, fuel, food, water and medical supplies.

The continued restriction of these necessities, particularly amid foreseeable winter flooding, represents a flagrant disregard for these obligations, and comes amid ongoing bombings, assassinations, and the large-scale targeting of Palestinian civilians, especially police and government workers. The use of deprivation, displacement and collective punishment against a civilian population cannot be legitimized through claims of security or political necessity. After three years of genocide, this could not be clearer.

States must take concrete, coordinated measures to bring an end to the siege, secure the opening of all crossings, ensure the entry of caravans and prefabricated housing, and facilitate the immediate restoration of water, electricity, sanitation and drainage infrastructure. Humanitarian agencies, Palestinian civil institutions and international relief organizations must be enabled to operate without obstruction, intimidation, sanctions and unilateral coercive measures, or externally imposed political conditions.

The IADL further condemns the attempt to substitute the so-called “Board of Peace” for legitimate international institutions, including the United Nations and its established humanitarian and legal mechanisms. This U.S.-led structure represents an effort to replace international accountability and Palestinian self-determination with an externally imposed system of political administration, overseen by the very powers that have armed, financed and shielded Israel throughout its genocide in Gaza.

The Board of Peace has utterly failed to protect the Palestinian population. It is designed to manage the consequences of occupation and genocide without confronting their causes and to provide a smokescreen to obscure their reality. Its acknowledgment of the humanitarian emergency and Israeli obstruction only underscores its failure, particularly when combined with its attempt to shift responsibility to the Palestinian people, the victims and survivors of genocide.

The IADL particularly rejects the outrageous argument that humanitarian relief, reconstruction and the provision of adequate shelter must be conditioned upon the disarmament of Palestinian resistance. The right of civilians to food, shelter, medical treatment and protection from the elements is unconditional, and Israel’s obligations are mandatory, not subject to political negotiations. They cannot be made contingent on the political or military demands of an occupying power or its international sponsors and supporters, whether directly from the occupier itself or laundered through the “Board of Peace”.

The Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and liberation from colonial domination and foreign occupation cannot be erased through arrangements that demand their submission as the price of survival. Any legitimate political process must uphold Palestinian rights rather than subordinate them to externally imposed security arrangements. People under foreign occupation have the right to resist to achieve their liberation, including and particularly through armed struggle.

The IADL calls upon all states, international legal institutions, bar associations, human rights organizations and democratic lawyers to respond to the Palestinian Bar Association’s urgent appeal with concrete action, including measures to end the siege, secure the delivery of adequate shelter and humanitarian assistance, halt arms transfers facilitating international crimes, and pursue accountability through international and domestic legal mechanisms.

States must fulfill their obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent genocide and their duties under international law not to aid or assist genocide, and further, to prosecute and hold accountable those responsible for this ongoing genocide. They must act collectively and independently to ensure the protection of Palestinians in Gaza, rather than defer to an ineffective political structure that lacks accountability to the Palestinian people.

After over three years of failure to stop genocide, and over 78 years of the deprivation of Palestinian rights, the international community cannot once again allow Palestinians to be bombed out of their homes, denied the means to rebuild them, and then left to drown in flooded tents.

The IADL demands an end to the siege, an end to genocide and impunity, the protection of the Palestinian civilian population, and the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including self-determination, return and liberation.

International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL)
11 November 2026

Palestinian Bar Association Statement

Palestinian Bar Association Issues an Urgent Appeal to the International Community and International Institutions: Gaza Faces Winter Amid an Escalating Humanitarian and Living Conditions Crisis

The Palestinian Bar Association issues this urgent appeal to the international community, the United Nations and its humanitarian and human rights agencies, as well as international and regional organisations, calling for immediate and effective action in response to the deteriorating humanitarian and living conditions endured by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip as winter sets in, amid the continuing consequences of the genocidal war and the widespread destruction of the basic necessities of life, infrastructure, homes and public facilities.

The onset of winter adds further alarming dimensions to the daily suffering of more than a million of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, particularly families who have been forcibly displaced and are living in tents and shelters that lack even the minimum standards of humanitarian protection. These families are exposed to rain, cold and strong winds, while facing a lack of heating facilities, shortages of blankets and winter clothing, the deterioration of water and sanitation services, and severely limited access to healthcare, medicines and other essential necessities.

The Association stresses that providing safe and adequate shelter, relief supplies, heating facilities, and essential medical and food supplies constitutes a legal obligation under the rules of international humanitarian law, foremost among them the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as the rules governing the protection of civilian populations and the provision of their basic needs. These rules also prohibit the use of starvation and the deprivation of the means necessary for survival as methods of coercion or collective punishment.

Accordingly, the Palestinian Bar Association calls upon the international community and international institutions to:

  1. Take urgent action to ensure the unrestricted entry of humanitarian and relief assistance into the Gaza Strip, without obstacles or restrictions, in a manner that meets the actual needs of the Palestinian population.
  2. Provide adequate temporary housing and shelters, including tents capable of withstanding rain and strong winds, together with insulation materials, heating facilities, blankets and winter clothing, in order to safeguard the dignity and physical safety of civilians.
  3. Ensure the provision of food, clean drinking water, medicines and medical supplies, while strengthening the capacity of hospitals and healthcare centres to deliver essential medical services.
  4. Intervene urgently to address the public health and environmental crisis resulting from the destruction and/or damage to the remaining water and sewage networks, as well as the accumulation of waste, and the resulting risks to the lives of the population, particularly children, women, older persons and patients.
  5. Ensure the protection of civilians and displaced persons and uphold the rules of international humanitarian law, while working to remove the restrictions imposed by the occupying Power that prevent humanitarian assistance from reaching the Palestinian population.
  6. Activate international legal and accountability mechanisms in relation to the ongoing violations committed against civilians, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable and do not enjoy impunity.

The Association emphasises that leaving the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip to face the winter without shelter to protect them from the cold and rain, and without even the most basic necessities of life, places the international community and its institutions before legal and humanitarian responsibilities that cannot be postponed.

The Association further affirms that protecting human life and dignity is not a matter of choice or selectivity, but a binding responsibility incumbent upon all relevant international bodies and institutions. Accordingly, a series of urgent measures must be taken to confront these restrictions and challenges and to help secure the minimum conditions necessary for a dignified life for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in light of the grave circumstances they continue to endure.

Issued on 8 November 2026
PALESTINIAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Arab Lawyers Union Statement

URGENT APPEAL Gaza Under Aggression, Siege, and Winter Tragedy: A Real Test of the Justice of International Law

The General Secretariat of the Arab Lawyers Union is following with deep concern and dismay the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip, amid the grave attacks and violations being committed against the Palestinian people, alongside the siege and restrictions imposed on them that prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid and basic necessities. This comes at a time when the suffering of civilians is worsening with the onset of winter, as thousands of families face the risks of cold, rain, and floods after losing their homes and the components of a safe life.

While the General Secretariat of the Arab Lawyers Union renews its full solidarity with the Palestinian people, it affirms that what is taking place in the Gaza Strip is no longer merely an emergency humanitarian crisis, but rather a real test of the effectiveness of the international legal system, the extent of the international community’s commitment to the principles of justice and humanity, and its respect for the rules of international humanitarian law, which must not be suspended or derogated from under any political or military pretext.

Despite the announcement of the ceasefire and its associated international arrangements, the continuation of attacks, the loss of lives, and the restrictions imposed on the movement of individuals and aid, alongside the continued control over large areas of the Strip, reveal a dangerous gap between declared commitments and the reality on the ground. Incoming data indicates the death of 1,593 martyrs and the injury of 5,748 others since the start of the truce until early November 2026, bringing the total casualties to 67,173 martyrs and 169,780 injured—a toll that reflects the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe experienced by the residents of the Strip.
The tragedy multiplies with the expansion of widespread destruction, as estimates indicate that about 81% of facilities have been damaged, with 123,464 buildings completely destroyed, 198,273 other buildings damaged, and 320,622 housing units damaged or destroyed. This has led to the displacement of massive numbers of families, depriving them of the most basic elements of stability and a dignified life.

At a time when civilians need urgent protection and relief, the conditions of the displaced are worsening amidst rain and floods, where tens of thousands of tents were flooded within hours, damaging shelter camps and family property, amid mounting distress calls and a severe shortage of shelter, heating, and healthcare supplies. There is an urgent need to provide about 200,000 tents, alongside fuel, medicines, and medical supplies, and to ensure the entry of aid without disruption or restrictions that hinder its arrival to those who deserve it.

Furthermore, the continued detention of thousands of Palestinians, including children and women, raises grave legal and humanitarian concerns, in light of data indicating the presence of about 9,300 detainees, including 3,101 administrative detainees, 350 children, and 91 women. The General Secretariat of the Arab Lawyers Union emphasizes that ensuring the rights of detainees and protecting them from torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention is a legal obligation that does not accept selectivity or disregard.

Driven by its professional, legal, and pan-Arab responsibilities, the General Secretariat of the Arab Lawyers Union stresses that the rules of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions mandate the protection of civilians and civilian objects, prohibit the targeting of medical, educational, and cultural facilities, ban the policies of starvation and collective punishment against the civilian population, and oblige the parties to the conflict to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief and protect medical and humanitarian workers.
In this context, the General Secretariat affirms that the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice regarding the illegality of the continued Israeli presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, alongside the provisional measures issued by the Court in the case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, represent important legal references whose implications must not be squandered or treated as mere political positions. Moreover, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 2417, 2720, and 2803, impose clear responsibilities regarding the protection of civilians, ensuring the delivery of aid, and dealing seriously with the humanitarian situation in the Strip.

Based on this responsibility, the General Secretariat of the Arab Lawyers Union demands an immediate and comprehensive cessation of attacks, ensuring the full and sustainable implementation of the ceasefire, lifting the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, ending the restrictions hindering the freedom of movement of the population and the entry of essential supplies, while ensuring withdrawal from areas under military control, and rejecting any measures aimed at entrenching a permanent reality that detracts from the rights of the Palestinian people.
The General Secretariat also calls for the opening of all crossings—foremost among them Rafah, Karam Abu Salem, Zikim, and Beit Hanoun—and ensuring the regular and adequate flow of humanitarian, medical, and fuel aid, including the entry of at least 600 trucks daily according to the actual needs of the population, providing tents and urgent shelter supplies, and implementing a comprehensive winter relief plan to protect displaced persons from the cold, rain, and floods, with priority given to children, women, the elderly, and the sick.

The General Secretariat further demands the formation of an independent international commission of inquiry to gather evidence and document violations committed against civilians and the sanctity of civilian facilities, and to preserve evidence in accordance with approved legal standards, in preparation for holding those responsible accountable before competent international judicial bodies. It calls upon states to halt the export of weapons and equipment that could be used in committing grave violations of international humanitarian law, and to refrain from providing any support that contributes to the continuation of such violations or impunity.

The General Secretariat affirms its categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people or alter the demographic and geographic composition of the Gaza Strip, considering this a grave violation of international law and an assault on the Palestinian people’s right to their land and self-determination. It also stresses the need to release detainees in accordance with applicable legal rules, ensure humane treatment for them, and work on the reconstruction of the Strip in a manner that preserves the rights of its residents under Palestinian supervision, ensuring that reconstruction is not turned into a means to impose arrangements that detract from the will of the Palestinian people or their national rights.

The General Secretariat of the Arab Lawyers Union directs an urgent appeal to the United Nations, the Security Council, the Secretary-General, the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and take practical steps that go beyond statements of condemnation, ensuring the protection of civilians, the cessation of violations, and the holding of those responsible to account. It also calls upon UNESCO to act to protect educational, cultural, and heritage institutions, and UNICEF to intensify its efforts to protect the children of Gaza and provide their basic needs, while emphasizing the necessity of ensuring the continued operation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and empowering it to perform its humanitarian duties without obstacles.

The General Secretariat declares its readiness to harness its legal and professional capabilities, in coordination with Arab bar associations and human rights institutions, to support efforts to document violations, prepare the necessary legal files, and back movements aimed at prosecuting perpetrators of crimes before competent international judicial courts, and to work towards building a unified Arab legal position that defends the rights of the Palestinian people, affirming that justice cannot be achieved without accountability, and that respect for international law is neither selective nor subject to the balances of power.

The General Secretariat of the Arab Lawyers Union affirms that the silence of the international community or the inability of its institutions to enforce its resolutions must not become a cover for the continuation of violations, and that the protection of civilians is not a political option, but an inherent legal and humanitarian obligation.

The cause of the Palestinian people will remain a cause of justice, right, and human dignity, and the General Secretariat will remain steadfast in its role in defending these principles and supporting every serious legal effort that puts an end to violations and ensures that perpetrators do not escape punishment.
Gaza is not alone.. Justice does not lapse with time.. Stop the aggression and the siege, protect civilians, and hold the perpetrators of crimes accountable.

Secretary General of the Arab Lawyers Union

El Mekkaoui Benissa