Introduction Welcome to the Liberal Democrats Friends of Palestine (LDFP) news bulletin. This bulletin aims to keep you informed about the latest updates related to Israel-Palestine and Liberal Democrat activity on Palestine. The bulletin is sent to a mailing list of Lib Dems and supporters who have expressed interest in our work. We encourage those who are not already members of LDFP to consider joining (details available here).  Since the Gaza ’ceasefire’ came into effect in October 2025,Israeli forces have killed at least 556 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and injured over 1,500 more. Israel has continued its systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid, including by revoking the licenses of 37 international NGOs operating in the Strip. Although the Rafah crossing into Egypt has been partially re-opened, only a small number of Palestinians have been permitted to leave Gaza, leaving around 20,000 awaiting evacuation for urgent medical treatment. Israel’s ‘yellow line’ continues to drive mass displacement, with almost 60 per cent of Gaza’s territory now under its control. Against this backdrop, President Trump’s so-called Board of Peace’ has emerged as a top-down, neo-colonial initiative led by MAGA loyalists, business elites and war criminals, with Palestinians excluded and clear conflicts of interest throughout.  Meanwhile, Israel has pressed ahead with its illegal settlement expansion and de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank. including advancing its E1 settlement plan designed to split the West Bank in two and “bury” the prospect of a viable Palestinian state. In January alone, Israeli settler violence and harassment displaced nearly 700 Palestinians – the highest monthly figure since October 2023 – including the complete displacement of the Ras Ein al-Auja herding community in the Jordan Valley, comprising around 130 families.  This edition sets out our current campaigning priorities, a recap of January’s LDV articles and LDFP activity, and upcoming opportunities to get involved. We also cover recent Liberal Democrat parliamentary activity on Palestine, latest news updates, and new publications examining Israel’s appalling abuse of Palestinian detainees and reproductive violence against women in Gaza.

Campaigning Priorities  LDFP continues to work closely with Liberal Democrat MPs to inform and advise them of key developments and priorities relating to Palestine. This includes pressing for urgent action to reverse Israel’s deregistration of international humanitarian organisations, due to come into effect on 1 March, and ensuring sustained attention on thousands of Palestinians who continue to held by Israel without trial or due process, amid credible reports of torture and inhumane conditions. One of our main priorities at present is pushing for a comprehensive ban on trade with Israel’s illegal settlements. The UK’s recognition of Palestine risks being purely symbolic if it is not matched by decisive action to stop the ongoing erosion of Palestinian land and sovereignty. We all recognise that Israel is only going to behave differently if and when external pressure really builds up on them. A ban on settlement trade is the logical first step, with a clear legal basis and growing international support. This has been Liberal Democrat Policy since 2021, and, as the issue moves closer to the political mainstream, it is vital that we are at the forefront of efforts to advocate it.  While Liberal Democrat MPs continue to raise Palestine forcefully in Parliament, we are concerned that this activity is not consistently cutting through to the public. As LDFP, we are often met with surprise when speaking to voters, many of whom do not realise how strong the party’s position is. Meanwhile, frustration with Labour’s inaction is growing, particularly among young people, students, and ethnic minority communities – groups that will be crucial in the upcoming local elections – and there is a real risk that we are losing out to the Greens in terms of maintaining the moral high ground in matters relating to international humanitarian law. With this in mind, we are urging the Party to use its upcoming Opposition Day to force a parliamentary vote on banning settlement trade – a clear, achievable policy demand that would make the Liberal Democrats’ position unmistakable to voters, while applying real pressure to undermine the occupation.

Lib Dem Voice Articles Israel/Palestine: Complicity – Andrew George MP, 21 December 2025 In this article, Liberal Democrat MP Andrew George raises concerns about the extent of the UK’s military cooperation with Israel throughout its genocidal assault on Gaza. He points to continued arms exports, RAF surveillance flights, the training of IDF soldiers on UK soil, and the participation of Israeli defence companies at the UK’s largest arms fair. Andrew argues that the UK may have become complicit in Israel’s violations of international law and calls for greater transparency and accountability from the UK government. The Plight of Palestinian Christians – John McHugo, 22 January 2026 LDFP member and former Chair John McHugo highlights the plight of Palestinian Christians, who, like their Muslim neighbours, have endured over two years of relentless bombardment and siege in Gaza, while those in the West Bank continue to live under an unlawful occupation marked by checkpoints, settler violence, land seizures and Israeli military control. John rejects the dominant framing of the conflict as a religious struggle between Jewish and Muslim groups, arguing that the shared experiences of Palestinian Christians and Muslims exposes the conflict for what it is: a nationalist struggle about land, dispossession, and the denial of Palestinian rights.

Palestinian Delegation Briefs Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians On 4th February, Liberal Democrat MPs and peers were briefed by a delegation of Palestinian business experts and NGO leaders.The briefing examined how Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian State impacts the Palestinian economy in practice – including through restrictions on land, movement, and trade – and how these policies shape the ability of Palestinian businesses to operate and grow. Speakers highlighted the specific impacts on Palestinian women working in Israeli settlements, who face unsafe working conditions, long hours, job insecurity, and workplace harassment and abuse.The discussion also addressed the role of trade with Israel’s illegal settlements in sustaining the occupation, and the legal duty of third states, including the UK, to introduce an immediate and comprehensive ban on settlement trade. The session was hosted by Marie Goldman, Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford.

Opportunities to Get Involved Federal Party Spring Conference: 13 – 15 March, York The Liberal Democrat Spring Conference will take place from 13–15 March in York. Further details and information about how to register can be found here. LDFP will be present throughout the conference with our usual stall in the exhibition area, where we’ll be sharing resources and raising awareness about the situation in Palestine and our work. Members attending the conference are very welcome to come and meet us there, and, as always, volunteers at the stall are warmly encouraged. If interested in volunteering with us for couple of hours, please contact info@ldfp.org.uk. We’ll also be hosting a fringe event on the Saturday evening, open to all conference attendees:  Complicit: Britain’s Role in the Destruction of Gaza.  🗓 Saturday 14 March 🕕 6:15–7:15pm 📍 Bootham Room, Hilton York Hotel A conversation with Peter Oborne, former chief political commentator at the Daily Telegraph and Spectator, about his book: Complicit: Britain’s Role in the Destruction of Gaza (published October 2025). Scottish and Welsh Party Conferences LDFP will also have a presence at the Scottish Liberal Democrat Spring Conference on 20 – 21 of February in Edinburgh, as well as at the Welsh Liberal Democrat Spring Conference on 6 – 8 March in Cardiff. We’re looking for volunteers to help run our stalls at both conferences. If you can help, please contact info@ldfp.org.uk. Other engagement opportunities The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is still running its Councillors’ Pledge for Palestine campaign, calling on all councillors to pledge to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people. Members who are councillors may wish to review the pledge and decide whether it is something they’d like to engage with. Councillors on the LDFP committee minded to sign, who hold Cabinet or executive roles, are seeking advice from their monitoring officer to inform their decision. Richmond residents may wish to consider signing a recent Richmond and Kingston PSC petition, Tell Richmond Council to Stop Funding Genocide and Apartheid. The petition can be signed by anyone who lives, works or studies in the Richmond Borough.

Lib Dem Activity on Palestine Anna Sabine on Trump’s “nightmare” Board of Peace  On 23 January, in an interview on BBC’s Any Questions, Anna Sabine MP called out the absurdity of Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”: “It’s like your worst nightmare golf club committee – with Donald Trump’s son-in-law, his mates, a couple of dictators, a guy with a chainsaw, and anyone else who wants to chuck in a billion pounds.” Responding to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s comments that the UK would “not yet” join the board because of concerns over the possible inclusion of President Putin, Anna said: “This is not something the government should ever be considering… Has it not got concerns about the entire thing – the fact that if I pay a billion dollars I can join, and the fact that it’s focused on reconstructing Gaza without any representatives of the Palestinian people.” Listen to the full segment here (Anna’s comments rom 17:00 minutes onwards).  Parliamentary Debates (5 February) Commons Chamber – Occupied Palestinian Territories: Genocide Risk Assessment Susan Murray MP: Upwards of 250 journalists have been killed. Entire news crews have been wiped out by airstrikes and targeted shootings…. I urge the Government to take proactive steps to secure the release of Palestinian medical professionals held in Israeli prisons—they should be free to care for the injured and sick—and to guarantee the safety of journalists reporting in Gaza. The Liberal Democrats are clear that the Israeli Government have committed a genocide in Gaza, and that those responsible must be held to account. Looking forward, we have a responsibility to protect those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Government have been too slow in reacting to events in Palestine and the West Bank. They must step up to their duties under international law by acknowledging the risk of genocide. Al Pinkerton MP: Alongside global NGOs, aid organisations, Israeli human rights organisations and the UN commission of inquiry, we consider there to be credible evidence that the actions of the Israeli Government in Gaza during the military campaign have amounted to genocide…. Given that reality, what matters now is accountability on all sides, which is why access to Gaza for journalists and human rights organisations is so fundamentally important…. However, accountability in itself is not enough, and that must sharpen our focus on what is required to move beyond the repeated cycles of violence. Only genuine progress towards a two-state solution can deliver lasting security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis, so the Liberal Democrats call on the Government to rule out ever participating in Trump’s board of peace. Reconstruction must be co-ordinated by the United Nations with the involvement of the Palestinians, who have been excluded from Trump’s proposals. Watch the debate Read the debate transcript (20 January) Commons Chamber – Foreign Office Oral Questions Monica Harding MP: There are reports that this morning Israeli security forces arrived at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency compound in Sheikh Jarrah, in occupied East Jerusalem. Security guards were forced out of the premises, bulldozers subsequently entered the compound and began to demolish UNRWA buildings, and the demolitions are ongoing. If that is true, it is not only an unprecedented attack against UNRWA and its premises; it also constitutes a serious violation of international law, and of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. What consequential action will the Foreign Secretary take if these reports are true? Vikki Slade MP: The irony, of course, is that we already have a board of peace, and it is called the UN, but President Trump is undermining it at every step. Five days ago, a group of 22 UN experts deemed the ban on international NGOs to be “part of a systematic assault on humanitarian operations…and another step in the deliberate dismantling of Gaza’s lifeline”. Twenty-one children have died of extreme cold in recent days, and 7,000 tents have been swept away due to the weather conditions. We need to do more directly, and if these NGOs cannot do it, what are the Government doing to get tents, shelter and heating into Gaza? Calum Miller MP: The composition of Donald Trump’s board of peace looks increasingly like a rogues’ gallery, with President Putin now having been invited to join. Meanwhile, the Palestinians have been left out of that board entirely, and it is increasingly clear that this is not about peace at all. I have two questions for the Foreign Secretary, which she has not yet answered. Can she tell the House whether Government Ministers have spoken with Tony Blair about his role, and will she categorically condemn these current plans and call instead for the United Nations to lead peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, with Palestinians at the heart of this? Watch the debate Read the debate transcript (07 January) House of Lords –  Middle East and North Africa  Lord Purvis: On the ongoing low-level conflict which continues in Gaza, it is palpably obvious from the Minister’s Statement that there is not what can be described as a “humanitarian ceasefire”… It is a very long way from October, when our Prime Minister flew in a flurry to Egypt to, in his words, give special tribute to President Trump on a so-called historic peace agreement. Four months on, there has been little progress on governance and there continues to be far too little in food and medicine assistance to civilians. Peace, proper peace, seems a very long way away, especially with Hamas and gangsterism continuing. Watch the debate Read the debate transcript (07 January) House of Lords – Crime and Policing Bill  Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames: Even if the proscription of Palestine Action is right in law, there is something profoundly wrong about criminalising the activities of individuals under the Terrorism Act for peaceably carrying placards or wearing clothing at a demonstration denoting support for that organisation. Many of the protesters who were or are being prosecuted are students on the threshold of their career. Others are public servants, active or retired. I do not believe it can be right for them to be branded as terrorists. The consequences for many are wholly disproportionate… Yet senior police officers at the time of the protests have been heard to say that that is a reason to stay away from such protests—in other words, deliberately reducing attendance at those protests. Lord Strasburger: Peaceful protest educates the public, sparks debate and creates the pressure necessary for reform. In a healthy democracy, disagreement is not a threat but a sign that citizens care deeply about their society. However, our right to protest is, as has already been said, under relentless attack… The current Government found a way to further suppress peaceful demonstrations by misusing terrorism legislation to stop protests. This led to 2,700 arrests of mostly elderly people who were protesting about what was happening in Gaza. Watch the debate Read the debate transcript (05 January) Commons Chamber – Middle East and North Africa  Calum Miller MP: After two years of widespread destruction, people in Gaza are already facing severe shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies in the midst of winter. What immediate action are the Government taking to persuade Israel to reverse its decision to bar reputable international aid agencies from Gaza and the west bank? The continued expansion of settlements on Palestinian land by Netanyahu’s extremist Cabinet since the House last met is explicitly intended to undermine any prospect of a two-state solution, so will the Government implement immediate sanctions on members of the Israeli Cabinet, and a full ban on the import of settlement goods? Will they finally publish their response to the 2024 International Court of Justice ruling that Israel’s occupation is illegal under international law? Caroline Voaden MP: The Minister used passive language in his statement. He said: “Too much aid is still stuck at Gaza’s borders”. This might be the ex-Reuters editor in me, but I think that is wrong. The aid is not “stuck” at Gaza’s border; it is being deliberately held there in an act of cruelty by the Israeli Government, who do not want the aid to help the people of Gaza. Will the Minister tell the House exactly what the UK Government are doing to restore access? What leverage are they using to force the Israeli Government to reverse this cruel decision, and when will they work with EU allies to bring in much wider sanctions? Perhaps it is time for trade, sport and cultural sanctions against Israel so that it will really listen, rather than just a passive statement that is clearly making no impact on the Israeli Government’s actions. Watch the debate Read the debate transcript

Early Day Motions (14 January) Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories – Tabled by Monica Harding MP and signed by 48 other Lib Dem MPs.       That this House notes with serious concern reports that, from 31 December 2025, international non-governmental organisations operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been informed that their registrations are due to expire under a newly introduced Israeli registration system, requiring the cessation of activities and the withdrawal of staff within 60 days; understands that at least 35 international humanitarian organisations are affected, including organisations with applications still under consideration; further notes recent actions by the Government of Israel to restrict the work of international humanitarian organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; also notes that legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset is affecting the ability of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to operate, including measures relating to access to utilities, financial services and premises in East Jerusalem; recalls that international humanitarian law requires an occupying power to facilitate the passage of humanitarian assistance; further recalls the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice requiring Israel to enable humanitarian assistance at scale; believes that administrative and regulatory restrictions which impede humanitarian access risk undermining those obligations and the independence of humanitarian action; and calls on the Government, working with international partners and through the United Nations, to support the protection of humanitarian access and the delivery of life-saving assistance to civilians and to take consequential action should this not be afforded.

Written Questions (27 January) Calum Miller MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of geographic application of Gaza in the Charter of the US-proposed Board of Peace compared to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. Government response: Due for answer by 2 February 2026. (26 January) Liz Jarvis MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to help ensure access to medical supplies in Gaza. Government response: Awaiting response: due for answer by 28 January 2026. (20 January) John Milne MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 103110 on Exports: Ammunition, on what evidential basis the Minister stated that the Government does not licence the export of any bombs or ammunition for use in military operations in Gaza or the West Bank. Government response: Licence applications for the export of controlled goods, including bombs and ammunition, are considered by the Export Control Joint Unit. Relevant teams, including technical experts and officials within DBT, FCDO and MOD, consider every application on a case-by-case basis. On the basis of such assessments this Government has been clear that the UK does not licence the export of any bombs or ammunition for use in military operations in Gaza or the West Bank. Information on export licensing is publicly available here. The Government has previously published exceptional information relating to Israel available here. (16 January) Susan Murray MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what video footage and imagery is held by his Department from RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza on 31 March 2024; and whether his Department has any plans to publish or otherwise release any such material to the public. Government response: Since the terrorist attacks against Israel of 7 October 2023, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals, who were kidnapped. In support of these efforts the Ministry of Defence (MOD) conducted surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including operating in air space over Israel and Gaza from December 2023. The surveillance aircraft were always unarmed, did not have a combat role, and were tasked solely to locate hostages. The UK Government strictly controlled what information was passed on and only information relating to hostage rescue was passed to the relevant Israeli authorities.Following the agreement of the Gaza peace plan between Israel and Hamas, and the release of remaining hostages, the MOD has ceased surveillance flights over Gaza. The last fight took place on 10 October 2025. We will not comment further on detail relating to intelligence matters to protect operational security and preserve the MOD’s ability to respond to future hostage incidents around the world. (13 January) James MacCleary MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested for being a supporter of (a) the Maniacs Murder Cult and (b) the Russian Imperial Movement in the latest reported quarter, July to September 2025. Government response: Data on arrests, charges and convictions for the proscription offences in sections 11 to 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 can be found in the quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’. The most recent publication up to year ending September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025. Data is not published on the specific proscribed organisation that the arrest, charge or conviction relates to, with the exception of Palestine Action. Since the proscription of Palestine Action on 5 July 2025, arrests linked to supporting this group have materially altered the volume and demographic makeup of terrorism-related arrests. To preserve the clarity and time-series compatibility, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action are shown separately, while still being included in the overall total of all arrests in the publication. The separation does not imply that this cohort has been treated differently to other arrests and charges. The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including determining whether an offence has been committed or not, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who are operationally independent. The Government is absolutely clear that support for proscribed organisations is unacceptable. Anyone expressing support for a proscribed organisation should expect to be investigated by the police. (12 January) Pippa Heylings MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the continued delivery of aid in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank. Government response: I refer the Hon Member to my statement on 5 January. See the statement here. (05 January) Martin Wrigley MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what is the Department’s standard response and protocol to responding to Governments which have de-registered UK funded NGOs. Government response: Our responses will vary depending on the circumstances of each case. The UK supports open and inclusive civic space and an enabling operating environment for civil society globally. In terms of the recent threat to deregister NGOs operating in Gaza, I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 5 January. See the statement here. (05 January) John Milne MP Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department holds UK customs export data identifying shipments of live munitions, including bullets, exported from the United Kingdom to Israel in August 2025; and whether he plans to publish disaggregated data distinguishing live munitions from training, sporting, and other non-combat ammunition. Government response: DBT does not hold detailed shipment-level customs export data. For goods export data, you should refer to HMRC, who publish UK trade in goods statistics by partner country and product which can be found here. Since September 2024, this Government has suspended licences for exports for the IDF that might be used in military operations in Gaza and refused new licence applications on the same basis. We categorically do not licence the export of any bombs or ammunition for use in military operations in Gaza or the West Bank. DBT publishes extensive data on export licences on a quarterly basis which includes summaries of the items licensed, with classifications which typically differentiate between types of ammunition. The Department has also published specific information on licences for export to Israel.

Latest News Gaza “ceasefire”:  Israeli strikes kill at least 21 in Gaza as Rafah patient crossings halted – The Guardian, 4 FebruarySick and wounded Palestinians enter Egypt after Israel reopens Rafah crossing – The Guardian, 2 February  Children and police officers among at least 30 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza– The Guardian, 31 January  Israel accepts Gaza’s 70,000 death toll: A record of denialism, lies – Al Jazeera, 30 January  Israel s eeks ‘more exits than entries’ at Gaza’s Rafah as Egypt objects – Al Jazeera, 29 January Israel says it has retrieved remains of final Gaza hostage – BBC News, 26 January  Three journalists among 11 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza – The Guardian, 21 January Israel bulldozes Unrwa headquarters in East Jerusalem – The Guardian, 20 January Israel moves Yellow Line deeper into Gaza, satellite images show – BBC News, 16 January Israel to bar 37 aid groups as UK and EU warn of severe impact in Gaza –  BBC News, 31 December West Bank settlement expansion: January settler attacks cause record West Bank displacement since Oct 2023, UN says – Al Arabiya English, 5 February Israel extends closure, siege of northern West Bank camps until end of March– Middle East Eye, 2 February  ‘A violation of our history’: Palestinian uproar over Israel’s plan to seize historic West Bank site – The Guardian, 2 February Israel orders eviction of Bedouins as settlers target West Bank schools – Al Jazeera, 1 FebruaryWest Bank sees ‘silent war’ amid record levels of Israeli violence: UNRWA chief – Middle East Monitor, 1 February  C of E bishops criticise UK inaction over Israel’s ‘West Bank de facto annexation’ – The Guardian, 1 February Settler-only IDF units functioning as ‘vigilante militias’ in West Bank – The Guardian, 30 JanuaryIsrael raids several occupied West Bank towns after killing Hebron youth – Al Jazeera, 29 January ‘If you sleep, settlers will burn your house’: fear in the West Bank – Al Jazeera, 22 January  Israeli minister approves gun licences for 18 illegal West Bank settlements – Al Jazeera, 22 January  Israel bulldozes Unrwa headquarters in East Jerusalem – The Guardian, 20 January  Israel prepares to build E1 settlement to ‘bury’ Palestinian state – The New Arab, 7 January  Palestinian detainees: Israel split over plans to bring back death penalty for deadly attacks – BBC News, 31 January ‘I cannot help my clients’: The impossible task of representing Palestinian detainees – + 972 Magazine, 27 January Rights groups report widespread sexual violence against Palestinians in Israeli prisons – Le Monde, 20 January Global campaign for ‘Palestinian hostages’ held by Israel launches in London – The New Arab, 15 January   Israel Continues to Hold 776 Bodies of Identified Palestinians, Other Nationals – Haaretz, 1 February  International & UK response:  Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ to give Hamas ‘2-month ultimatum’ to disarm, Israeli finance minister says – AA, 2 February  EU condemns repeated Israeli ceasefire violations in Gaza, urges respect for humanitarian law – AA, 1 February  Arab and Muslim states condemn Israel’s ceasefire breaches after deadly Gaza strikes – Middle East Eye, 1 February  UK holds off joining Trump’s Board of Peace over Putin concerns – BBC News, 22 JanuaryNetanyahu to join Trump ‘board of peace’ despite previous objections – The Guardian, 21 January Trump charges $1 billion for permanent seat on Gaza ‘Board of Peace’, invites Russia’s Putin – France 24, 19 January  Trump appoints Tony Blair to Gaza ‘Board of Peace‘ – Middle East Eye, 17 January

Publications Living Hell: The Israeli Prison System as a Network of Torture Camps – B’Tselem, January 2026 Despite releasing around 2,000 Palestinian detainees as part of the Gaza “ceasefire” negotiations, Israel continues to hold an estimated 3,500 Palestinians without charge or trial – including approximately 300 children and 80 medical workers. This recent report by leading Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem documents Israel’s systematic and institutionalised abuse of Palestinians in its custody, including widespread accounts of sexual violence, torture, inhumane living conditions, and medical neglect. The findings provide important context for understanding the broader system of control and punishment underpinning the Israeli occupation, and merit significantly greater scrutiny than they have so far received. Destroying Hope for the Future: Reproductive Violence in Gaza – Physicians for Human Rights and The University of Chicago Law School. In September 2024, a UN Commission of Inquiry found that Israel had engaged in four of the five acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention during its war on Gaza, including acts intended to prevent births, with attacks on sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities affecting an estimated 545,000 women and girls of reproductive age. This report affirms those findings, documenting how Israeli attacks on maternity and neonatal healthcare, combined with restrictions on food, medicine, and humanitarian access, have undermined the ability of women to give birth safely and of infants to survive.

Infographic of the Month Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor – 16 Jan 2026